When the Four Seasons Meet
by Hitori no kage
Summary: Life is never what it seems and it takes shaking its very foundation to learn to look "underneath the underneath" or seeing things at face value. But knowing the difference is what turns the tide, before they lose sight of the paths they must consider in order to find themselves. Political intrigue with complex plot & slow buildup. Genre change possible. Do read and review please!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Haruno Sakura, Haru no Sakura

Sakura listened to the clock on the wall at the head of her bed ticking loudly, breaking the morning silence. Though her eyes remained closed, she could picture each item in her room with clarity: pastel pink walls, light beige lace curtains covering the large windows but still thin enough to let in the early morning light, a low bed with baby pink covers and pale turquoise pillows placed across the door opening to the hallway, leaving plenty of room for a small kotatsu sitting at the center of a plush red rug. A maple-wood desk stood next to the right of her bed, gifted by a distant uncle last year before he'd suddenly passed away.

Sakura remained still on her bed for a few more moments before swinging her legs lethargically over to touch the cool wooden floor. Though she loved to watch the sun rise and smell the fresh, dew-kissed air, she had to acknowledged that she might never be a morning person. It was only through sheer persistence at forming good habits and the empowerment of the moments of silence that she was able to get up at six in the morning everyday. It was a habit worth making, especially since today was the day she would begin attending the academy. If there was one habit she wanted to make, it would be punctuality. Passing by the large, maroon colored bookshelf to the left of her bedroom door, she quickly slipped into the bathroom and prepared for the morning. After grabbing a croissant she had thrown into the toaster oven on the way to get dressed, she was out the door in half an hour. Breakfast would have to be eaten on-the-go, though her mother will undoubtedly rebuke her for not eating properly at the table. But what she doesn't know won't hurt her, right? Taking a deep, apprehensive breath, Sakura began her walk to to the school grounds.

* * *

Registration into the academy was relatively easy. Since it was the first day of class, the children were left to their own devices during lunch break, leaving Sakura largely with nothing to do. That was until some children decided that singling out her pink hair was next on their entertainment list. The quickly-formed clique trailed eagerly behind a girl who had been unabashedly pointing her finger in her direction for the past ten minutes. She arrogantly quirked an aristocratic brow as she came to a stop in front of Sakura. Feeling slightly cowed and wary at the sudden attention, she took a step back. The brown-haired girl grinned confidently at the pinkette's reaction, and looking swiftly to her companions as if to pass some silent joke, she gave Sakura a taunting greeting, her little ponytail swishing violently at her sharp movements.

"Well, look what we found here. A little civilian mouse snooping around our ninja academy trying to act like one of us. And she dyed her hair pink too. What a sight for sore eyes. "

The other girls snickered loudly while the boys watched on in the background with piqued interest and amusement. Sakura though, however wary she was of facing so many on her own, silently snorted at the girl's little introductory speech.

 _First of all, I'm not a 'what' but a 'who',_ thought the grammar Nazi inside her head. Though of course, she was not stupid enough to voice this retort out loud. _And my hair is naturally pink, you oaf._

"Why are you even here, anyway? Why not go back to your cozy civilian family and drink tea and mind your stupid little shops and your own business? Leave the ninja work to us, who can actually do the job. Just from looking at your stupid pink hair... and that forehead!" the girl guffawed as she jabbed crudely at the center of Sakura's forehead, making her cringe as the offending digit used enough force to knock her head back slightly at the motion. Rat, as Sakura decided to call her because of her mousy brown hair and the mean, scrunched up look on her face, finished her incomplete sentence, "Just from seeing those, the only enemy you might scare are animals and little children... But then with a forehead as large as yours, you might just be able to use it as a weapon and charge all your enemies out of the way like a bull."

 _And you would fall into the category of child, just like the rest of us- and an animal because you act like one. If I'm a bull and you're a rat, I will definitely find some satisfaction in stomping you to the ground!_

But the whole group choked with laughter as they began to join in on the taunting; verbally and soon physically as well, tugging and poking at her hair and forehead with grubby little fingers and brittle branches they found on the dusty ground of the academy yard. Sakura struggled valiantly to push the children away from her, only to fall to the ground on her backside as the group swarmed in around her like a pack of hyenas upon a fallen prey. The boys who had been in the background snickering at the girlish taunts now frowned nervously at the obvious bullying. Some stood impassively, turning around to pretend not to see her plight- like ostriches, Sakura thought, sticking their head into the ground. Others either scattered about, afraid of getting into trouble, or hesitated over whether to put a stop to the bullying before it got too far. But her divided attention was brought back to her present predicament when a particularly sharp branch scraped roughly across her arm in an attempt to entangle itself with her mussed elbow-length hair. Sakura gave a slight cry of pain at the rough treatment. Tears poured from her light viridian eyes as she saw that the scrape had torn through her skin, the blood seeping slowly down to her elbow. At the sight of blood, the girls froze with realization dawning on their faces; they had drawn blood. The sudden yell coming from the academy entrance finally pushed them back into action, scattering like wind blown leaves to leave a dirty, mud smeared, and slightly bloody Sakura in their wake. Their instructor, Iruka-sensei quickly ran over to her and knelt down to inspect her injuries.

"Are you okay Sakura-chan?" Iruka-sensei asked worriedly as he gently helped Sakura to her feet. "Thank goodness Naruto-kun ran to tell me what happened! Let's get you cleaned up at the nurse's office. Those girls..."

Iruka-sensei continued to mutter to himself exasperatedly as he slowly led Sakura into the academy towards the nurse's quarters. After bandaging her up, Sakura was sent to her next class and for the rest of the day, there were no more major mishaps. But from that day on, the taunting and jeering steadily increased and Sakura soon forgot the name of her rescuer on that first day in the misery.

* * *

"Oh my goodness, Sakura! Are you hurt anywhere? Why is your arm bandaged?!" demanded Haruno Mebuki as she fluttered about Sakura, intent on looking for anymore weeping scrapes or bruises that the nurse might have missed. When she didn't find anymore, her worry slowly turned into exasperation and annoyance as she took stock of Sakura's mussed up hair and the soiled clothing. There were even a few tears here and there in her dress. "Did you get into some scuffle with the children at the academy? I thought I told you to play nice, Sakura. You're a girl, for goodness sake. This is going to be a hassle to clean out!" Mebuki huffed in irritation.

"I'm sorry mother..."

"What if you scar? I've already relented in allowing you to attend that... ninja academy just because you wanted to try it. Your uncle... he had spoiled you too much, letting you romp around climbing trees with him like a boy. Just- just get in the bath and clean up after yourself, please. Be sure to rinse out your hair carefully to get rid of all that dirt. And clean up the bath floor after you're done. I don't want any of that stuff left around!"

"Yes, mother." Sakura muttered sullenly before heading to the bathroom.

"And use conditioner! And the scented oils!" Mebuki called as an after-thought. "We'll be heading to a dinner meeting with an important person tonight. Make yourself presentable!"

* * *

The dinner proved to be more stifling than Sakura expected. As much as she liked wearing kimonos and frilly dresses, the dinner was anything but enjoyable. Since her family owned a small chain of private banks, there were often times they were required to host dinners for important, potential investors. And because Sakura was their only child and heir to the fairly successful company, she was made to attend every single one of them. Thus, Mebuki took it upon herself to instill into Sakura's soul all sorts of proper etiquette and decorum.

Never put your elbows on the table. Never slouch. Always take small bites and sips silently. Speak softly and always bow at the forty-five degree angle with both hands folded demurely at the waist, right hand over the left. And never speak unless spoken to, for children should be seen and NOT HEARD.

So many rules, so many things to keep in mind so she wouldn't embarrass herself and shame her parents.

She really loved her parents and wanted desperately to meet their expectations, to make them proud to have her as their daughter. Her obedience and good track record were the only reasons why they allowed her the one exception in attending the ninja academy when she asked. But somehow, deep down in the core of her being, she couldn't find it in herself to pretend to be the demure and elegant girl high society wanted to mold her into. She was shy, yes, but only around people. She was spirited, loved to explore, and most especially loved to read anything she could get her hands on. At first, it was to please her parents with her diligent studying and quick learning. But now, she thirsted for knowledge; there were just so many things in the world for her to discover. She wanted to be like the Spring after a frigid, stiff winter; like the new shoots of grass and flowers pushing out of the cold snow-covered ground. But her mother found it displeasing that she liked to talk, would tremble with the desire to join what Mebuki deemed as an adult's conversation. It was not Sakura's place to butt in. Her father, on the other hand, was growing increasingly distant. He was constantly out working, barely playing an active role in the meager six years of her life, and rarely made himself available to commune at the dinner table with her and her mother. When he was there, he expected silence: no conversation, no "how was your day, Sakura?", and certainly no laughter. Laughing out loud was for the uneducated and the undisciplined. And Sakura was certainly educated and most definitely not undisciplined. Her mother made certain of that.

Sakura groaned in relief, finally able to relax from her stiff posture once she entered the safe haven that was her bedroom, where no one would be able to scrutinize her actions. Pulling out the overly abundant amount of elaborate silver pins and delicate crystal chains which had kept her hair up in a bun, she relished in the feel of her hair tumbling softly down her shoulders, glossy and luscious. She proceeded to fall face first onto her comforter, limbs splayed out carelessly across her bed. Her feet were throbbing painfully from wearing a pair of geta and having to walk quickly in order to keep pace behind the adults as her parents took their potential investor around on a tour of yet another newly built bank. Sakura had been forced to take small steps because of the restricting kimono, and had more than once, nearly fallen flat on her face. Her mother noticed of course and had frowned at her in reproach; her father just looked annoyed. But now, she laid comfortably in her own clothes, her mother having taken back the kimono silks to be returned to it's paulownia box. Now, she could enjoy the sound of the trees outside rustling gently in the night and feel the wind from her open window play with her pink tresses like it plays with flower laden sakura trees in Spring. Closing her eyes, she succumbed to a mentally and physically exhausted sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I was so excited about posting the first chapter to this story that I'd completely forgotten to put any disclaimers on... Hahaha. But of course, it's quite obvious that I'm not Kishimoto-sensei, or I wouldn't have made such a weird occurrence that is the extra story-line he came up to follow up on the main series (not that I liked the ending or how the main series turned out to begin with). Nor would I have made Sasuke out to be such an idiot... and Itachi so hopeless (cries for Itachi** _ **baka baka Itachi, so gullible**_ **) But since I'm not, hopefully, this story might be different. I mean no offense Kishimoto-sensei, I just never agreed with how ended the series which had SO much potential... Okay, enough babbling! Anyway, this is the second chapter! Please R &R, and give your support! **

Chapter 2: U zu ma ki Naruto, Uzu maki Naruto

If someone ever bothered to asked Uzumaki Naruto why he was always alone, he wouldn't be able to answer. He'd always been alone for as long as he could remember- whether it was when he was at the orphanage until he was kicked out last year, with no one and nothing but the glares from other children and the disgusted looks of the caretakers, or now as he sat sulking on a swing in the park near his apartment, the early evening light encasing him in its autumnal warmth. It was always the same: the same routine of returning to an empty, dingy apartment, the same routine of just trying to play on his own until the bullies came. He'd almost win against them in the resulting fight this time too. But after successfully punching only one boy in the eye and knocking another kid onto the ground, the rest decided to swoop in together simultaneously and knock Naruto onto his back. Now sitting there swinging halfheartedly hours after the assault, he sported a black right eye, a swollen left cheek as well as numerous abrasions and cuts on his body.

He hadn't done anything to any of the boys- to anyone as a matter of fact. He'd never done anything bad to them. Yet, he was the recipient of those nasty looks from people of all ages. Those cold looks which held hatred and a vow of retribution; retribution for what, he didn't know. Often times, he would be kicked out of stores he was trying to buy things from or the library, hauled out like a pig about to be slaughtered. And no one would go out of his or her way to defend him, to protest the treatment he was receiving. Be indignant for him, a mere, vulnerable child.

So all he could do was shrink back, endure, and rant about the maltreatment when he was alone in his apartment.

 _Yeah, alone,_ he thought dejectedly. _If I'd my parents, they wouldn't treat me this way. Mom 'n dad would defend me, protect me and kick the asses of anyone who'd try to gang up on me. I kinda have jiji... but what's he gonna to do 'bout anything when he's always so busy being Hokage? And Iruka-sensei... he seems nice enough but what if it's just 'cause he hasn't heard of what others say 'bout me? What if he hates me then?_

His small lips trembled at the thought in despair, trying to hold back his tears. It was during these moments when he was alone that he couldn't help but want to cry like the child he was.

 _I want my mom and dad!_ His soul wailed in anguish from deep within.

His body trembled at the immense amount of emotions he was feeling and once again, he cried tears of loneliness, alone in the dimly lit park with only the swings and sand box to keep him company, and the wind to embrace him in its gentle warm arms.

* * *

Pink was the first thing he registered in his head when he heard the commotion in the academy yard. He was once again by himself swinging halfheartedly on the large tire they tied to a tree as a make-shift swing. It was the first day of the new academic year and for once, no one spat on his worn out backpack, no one put gum in his hair, and no one tried to steal the meager amount of money he had in his old froggy purse. It had initially put him on edge, thinking something even worse than that was going to happen. But nothing happened, and for that, he'd sighed in relief. But it still didn't lessen the hurt he felt at the fact that everyone continued to ignore him like he didn't exist. So like any other miserable day, he sat isolated from the rest of the other kids during their lunch break. That was when he heard a sudden commotion from the other side of the academy yard. At first, he'd felt bitter thinking the ruckus was children having fun playing, perhaps being extra loud just to add salt to his wound for being a nobody. But when he realized that the noise consisted of girly jeering and taunting laughter, he finally looked up, curious as to who had become the girls' newest target.

That was when pink hair and green eyes flashed into view- the eyes so captivatingly green that it outshone the pretty green marbles he enviously saw kids played with. They were greener than the crisp, healthy leaves of the prettiest flowers being sold in the flower shops too. But what struck him the most was that those green eyes were also brimming with tears of pain and bewilderment.

S _he's being bullied 'n no one's helpin' her!_ Naruto thought, his observation quickly bringing about an anger in him that would later boggle him in its intensity. _She's just like me! Why isn't anyone helpin' her?!_

The small cry of pain she emitted when a branch scraped roughly against her arm quickly put him into action. Sliding off the swing in one quick motion, he ran as fast as his little, clumsy legs allowed him to and sought out the only person he thought would listen, Iruka-sensei. All too soon, the girls ran like cowards before Iruka-sensei could catch them for punishment. Naruto watched from a distance anxiously as the sensei inspected the injuries the pink-haired girl sported and before he knew it, she was brought inside for treatment. Naruto fidgeted a little, worried that she was hurt badly, but soon the lunch bell rang, signaling the end of lunch break. The children were all herded back into the building for their afternoon lessons and that was the last he saw of the girl for a while.

 _I didn't even get to know her name..._ Naruto thought forlornly. _What if- what if we can be friends? She'd know how I feel, the lonely feeling. We'd stick together 'n fight anyone who'd bother us!_ His shoulders sagged in defeat. _But then, she must be in the 'ginner's class since she's not in mine._

With that thought, Naruto began his slow walk back to his apartment.

* * *

It was some months later when Naruto bumped into the pinkette. And quite literally at that. Naruto fell flat on his back side, the black, plastic bag holding his carton of milk tumbling to the ground with a soft thud, while she fell on her hands and knees with a quiet squeak of surprise. Naruto swore he heard a soft gasp from behind him but he quickly forgot about it when he realized he had bumped into the girl he'd helped on that first day. Nervous and excited all at once, he quickly got up and rushed to her and fidgeted by her side.

"I'm sorry, 'ttebayo! You okay? I didn't mean to run into you like that! I swear!"

The pinkette cringed slightly in alarm and Naruto quickly shut up, realizing belatedly that perhaps he was being _just_ a little bit too loud, what with his close proximity.

"I- I'm okay." The girl stuttered. Naruto looked worriedly at her. Did he scare her that badly? She looked too nervous for his liking. "I'm s-sorry for b-bumping into you..."

The blond opened his mouth to say something but, in a spontaneous moment of maturity, decided against saying anything about the way she cringed at every movement he made. It was probably the bullying, wasn't it? Quietly, he extended his hand to her and helped her stand up, after a small moment of hesitation from the girl.

"Erm, sorry bout bumpin' inta you again." Naruto fidgeted a little, pausing uncertainly at first, but then continued, "I'm Uzumaki Naruto, dattebayou. What's your name?"

"I- I'm Haruno Sakura" Sakura breathed out nervously and dipped her head to hide behind her messy fringes. "I-I'm sorry too... You're not injured are you?"

"Uh... What's the word een-jyured mean, 'ttebayou?"

Sakura's frowned slightly at this and peered up at him contemplatively before rephrasing the question with surprisingly no stuttering. "I meant you weren't hurt, were you?"

Naruto shook his head and grinned, arms folded casually behind his head. _She cares!_ "Nope! I'm good!"

Then he noticed Sakura's bruised cheek and promptly flew into wild gestures of rage. "Wah! Why's your cheek blue?! Someone bully ya again?! Who hit ya? You okay?! Tell me who it is and let me at 'im, dattebayou!"

Sakura immediately looked alarmed and opened her mouth to say something. But before she could get a word in, someone shouted her name. Next thing the both of them knew, she was yanked behind a blond girl's back protectively.

"Hey short stuff, what do you think you're doing to a poor innocent girl like her?! You bullying her too?!" The blond girl roared at Naruto, her left hand clenched into a mean looking fist and swinging wildly in front of her.

The boy watched as Sakura's eyes widened and looked at the blond girl who had the same eye color as him, seemingly to say something. But whatever she wanted to say, he wasn't sure because he was busy sputtering indignantly at the accusation as the girl in front of him pointed a threatening finger at the bridge of his nose, making Naruto go cross-eyed.

"Don't think I don't know who you are, you freaky monster!" He cringed feeling as if someone had slapped him really hard across the face. "Don't you dare go near my friend here! You try anything funny and you'll be answering to me!"

The blond turned to Sakura and pulled her along by the wrist to walk away from him. He made no move to stop them or correct them, just watched them go as something wrenched his heart out of his chest, burning hot yet cold. It was a feeling that hurt too much for him to describe. Once again, he stood alone, apart from everyone, and he'd lost his chance at being friends with the one person who just might have understood his pain. With despair weighing on his sagging shoulders, he watched Sakura stumble awkwardly while turning to look behind her. Her vivid green eyes met his blue ones; it seemed as if she wanted to convey a telepathic message to him. Her eyes looked pleadingly at him and for a moment, everything seemed to slow down around him. She was sorry, he realized, sorry that she couldn't explain the actual circumstance to the arrogant girl who was dragging her away. Sorry that the other girl misinterpreted the situation. But they were too far away now for him to say anything reassuring to her. Instead, he only smiled sadly at her, hoping to show that he understood- that it was okay. Whether or not she got that message, he'd be unable to find out for a long while as the two girls turned a corner and disappeared from sight.

And that was how the both of them met Yamanaka Ino.

 **A/N: er... so I know that the first two chapters were rather short? But I wanted to have some kind of foundation established for each of the main characters first, so bear with me. And I'll have to admit, for someone who had lots of ideas popping into my head, I have this huge problem of wanting too stick to certain things which are canon!Naruto. I wish I didn't have such complex struggles with writing any of my stories, especially fanfics or else the chapters would have come easily to me... I guess. But enough excuses! I will try to update soon enough. And I haven't forgotten HunterxHunter! I'm working on it! So I'll see you soon!**

 **\- And just so you know there are reasons why the chapter titles are the way they are. Haha**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Okay... standard disclaimers → I don't own any of the canon!Naruto characters. Only the plot line and any additional OC's are mine.**

Chapter 3: Uchiha Sasuke, Uchi ha Sasuke

 _ **Those girls are going to get it one day! Ooooooh, and I have a whole entire list of things I want to do to make them sorry. Then they're going to cry for mercy! Let's see who gets the last laugh after that! Shannaro!**_

Sakura cringed as the voice she now referred to as Inner in her head began listing ways she would physically harm the bullies who continued to torture her almost daily. Even after months of having to hear the graphic violence Inner detailed in her mind, she couldn't get used to it, whether it was the uneasy feeling of _knowing_ that there was a voice in her head when she wasn't supposed to, or the fact the experience itself was so bizarre to her. There were times when the voice in her head was quiet- muffled- like Inner was talking through a thick layer of cotton, while other times, her voice was so clear and _loud_ that it was almost as if Inner was standing right _next to her._ And with each occurrence, a steadily growing sense of apprehension weighed on her shoulders because there were also instances when she felt something pushing against the side of her head, as if someone inside of her wanted to break through her skull and lash out at Sakura's attackers, or at anyone, for that matter; the thought that her body might yield to those urges paralyzed her with fear.

She had first heard Inner not long after the bullying began, when the girls no longer feared being caught for punishment. Once they learned that they could attack her when she was isolated, when the teacher wasn't around, they threw away their fear and physically bullied her without restraint. They even went as far as threatening further physical retribution if she dared to tell on them. As a result, Sakura was subjected to having her hair pulled roughly, tripped, elbowed crudely in the side during physical exercises... and so many other painful things that made her cringe even by just thinking about it.

The abused girl didn't dare tell her parents either- or rather, she had become gradually disheartened by the growing tension at home. Now that her mother's business was truly growing (her mother says it's called a corporation now), her father became an even rarer sight to behold. In the recent months, her father would often disappear with excuses not to attend the dinner meetings with clients, to the point where her mother was becoming paranoid. Was her husband cheating on her? Could he possibly have a mistress outside?

Arguments would arise whenever Mebuki tried to confront her husband, to which he would immediately become aggressively defensive. There were even several times when the confrontations bordered on physical, her father pushing her mother violently to the side before slamming the front door on his way out. He would proceed to stay out until the wee hours of the morning, coming back only to watch TV until he fell asleep on the couch. With such serious issues happening at home, how could she approach her parents with problems as petty as her own?

With that conclusion in mind, Sakura would try to hold it in with all her might and clean herself up after each time she was picked on. Sometimes, the teacher was able to come to her rescue in time to reprimand and punish the band of miscreants. But other times, she was left to defend herself only to come out battered, to metaphorically lick her own wounds in the nurse's office with an excuse of being clumsy. At home, she would make sure to cover herself well enough so her mother wouldn't notice.

Nights were the worst because the nightmares would come- they always came, like a promise the dark corners of the night made to young vulnerable children, whispering their inevitable approach. Sakura battled with herself each night, trying as hard as she could to stay awake until her father came home to watch his shows; the noise drifting up to her open doorway, with her room being so close to the stairs. Then, and only then, would she be able to feel safe enough, as she imagined her father's bony back leaning against the soft violet sofa cushions and facing the stairs- the back she wanted to believe in with all her might, could ward against the nightmares, in all its scrawny glory- before she fell asleep.

Meeting Ino-chan helped in some ways since the blond girl tried her best to bat away most of the pinkette's attackers with her deadly fists and the angry aura she emitted. She was the bright sunshine that lit up the small world Sakura lived in. The blond had strong-armed her way into being her friend, after the Ino-chan had pulled her away from the whisker-faced boy she had bumped into the year before, thinking that he was bullying the pink haired six-year old. Of course, Sakura hurriedly explained what actually happened and tried convincing Ino- chan that he was a good person, very gentle even, to which the blond hair, blue- eyed girl looked thoroughly disgruntled at. Ino-chan had frowned and claimed that Sakura shouldn't a-sso-ciate (the pinkette wanted to giggle at Ino's struggle at pronouncing the word if the blond hadn't been so serious) with the likes of him. "He's nothing but trouble, Kura-chan!" Ino had said. "I have better friends I will introduce you to!"

Ino-chan had proceeded to lecture Sakura after that; about how she shouldn't let the girls torture her the way they do and not to hide behind growing petal- pink bangs- the bangs that the blond said would look really nice when brushed to either side of her forehead and held back by the red ribbon she'd give her. From that point on, Sakura's outgoing friend made an effort to be with her whenever she could, during class and during lunch break.

But Ino-chan was human. Ino-chan wasn't omnipotent and certainly wasn't a bodyguard who could always protect Sakura twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. No, Ino-chan was just a girl like her; she had a family she needed to go home to eat dinner with, lived no where near her house and most certainly had a life of her own.

The bullies soon saw a pattern, a loophole they could exploit, and ambushed Sakura during the times when Ino-chan couldn't be there to protect her. With the constant violence came the beginnings of Inner, as Sakura's spirit was slowly crushed by the constant cornering she experienced. No, the gloom was too much and the suffocating atmosphere of the bullies prevented anyone from approaching Sakura to make friends with her- friends who would have helped keep Sakura afloat in her slowly fracturing world. Instead, they were all afraid of bringing the wrath of her bullies upon themselves and therefore, chose to keep a great distance away from the pinkette in order to avoid being caught in the unfavorable situation.

 _And so, I find myself doing things only deranged people will do,_ Sakura thought to herself sullenly one day, as she sat on a park see-saw after school. _Listen to a voice you can only hear inside your head ranting about your frustrations. Why is it that Inner has to be so violent?_

 _ **Don't be stupid! How many times have I told you? I'm not some random voice that popped up out of nowhere! I'm you! Why do you think you call me Inner Sakura for?! Where'd all those nerdy brain cells go?!**_

 _And now I hold conversations with this voice as well._ Sakura snarked before directing her thoughts to Inner. _First of all, you insisted that I call you Inner Sakura when I know your name is_ _Fukō. But I'll only call you Inner! Second, I'm not you! Why do I have to always hear your obnoxious ranting anyway?!_

 _ **But that's because I'm you!**_

 _Arghh! I give up..._

The seven-year old girl (she'll insist she's almost eight to anyone, though) sighed resignedly to herself, too tired and weary to argue. Being bullied almost daily did that to a person. Her initial will to remain optimistic despite being surrounded by the negativity of her oppressive tyrants now became just a weak flicker of a dying flame. She just couldn't find the energy hold some ridiculous debate against some imagination inside her head.

Sakura was brought abruptly back to reality, however, when the see-saw under her suddenly jerked upwards. She squeaked in surprise as she scrambled to hold onto the handle in front of her. When she was sure her heart wasn't going to leap out of her throat in fright at possibly falling and cracking her head against the hard ground, she looked up to meet the ones who were laughing at her response to their rude action- only to find her torturers, one of whom was, not surprisingly, Ami. Another girl was squatting on the other end of the board. She recognized her immediately as Hokori, the tallest in their year; her wiry frame leaning casually on the handle, dark brown hair tied back in a low ponytail and her legs hunched together from their low position. Unfortunately for Sakura, her being the opposite of the tall brunette in terms of height, left her dangling quite a distance off the ground, as the see-saw was built on a higher platform for older kids.

Her previously calming heart slowly began to quickly pick up speed again, thudding violently against her chest as her apprehension grew along with her realization of what was about to happen.

 _Not again!_

"Hello again, pink freak." Ami sneered gleefully at the odd colored eye-sore. Taunting the little twit was just _so_ easy, as Sakura was such a crybaby these days. Besides, her and the girls were able to relieve stress from all the work they had to put in, in order to try catching the attention of a certain raven-haired boy. Pushing this nobody around was almost... therapeutic. "Fancy meeting you here all alone... But then again, I'm not surprised, ne, seeing as you'd scared all the other kids away, what with your big ugly forehead and creepy looking eyes. I mean, who has _green_ eyes anyway?"

The little harpies snickered at the taunt, as they watched Sakura go red with ill-concealed anger and embarrassment. The pink-haired child who was still so short for her age, fought valiantly to fight back her tears, but miserably failed. Her little lips trembled and her breath hitched from the effort, all the while chanting a mantra to herself even as Inner renewed her passionate anger by spewing promises of _extremely_ violent retaliation.

 _I will not cry, I will not cry, I will not-_

"You sure you're from Konoha or is it that your poor so-called parents picked up the wrong baby? Maybe someone else didn't want you and secretly switched you for a better looking todd!" At this the snickers became full blown raucous laughter at the idea. One of the girls piped up with something that added insult to injury.

"Her parents definitely won't want her now! I bet they can't wait to get rid of her! She's so useless and ugly, they probably regret ever keeping her in the first place; probably dump this fake to look for their actual kid right? But then, how could they be so stupid to mistake a _pink_ \- haired baby as their own? The freak must have rubbed off on them too much!"

Sakura went rigid as if a bucket of ice, cold water was pour haphazardly over her head. Her temples throbbed with increasing intensity as she slowly processed what the girls had just _implied_.

"Take that back." The words were muttered so softly that the tormentors momentarily quieted down to better hear the utterance.

Hokori narrowed her eyes and quirked an arrogant brow. "You say something, ugly?"

They watched as the short girl who was stranded on the higher end of the wooden plank began to tremble. Ami snorted along with the others.

"Aww look, she's going to cry again. What a baby!" Ami jeered.

Sakura immediately whipped her head up, eyes flashing with increasing ire, tears long forgotten. "I said take that back, you deaf imbeciles!" The throbbing had now become a pounding headache. Sakura tried to focus her vision on the girls but the images were beginning to swim. But she didn't care, so intent was she at actually fighting back against her tormentors for once. Enough was enough!

Hokori and Ami sputtered indignantly at being called something they vaguely remembered might mean idiot. "Excuse me?! I dare you to say that again!"

"Let me down this instant! I've had enough of you pushing me around, treating me like I'm trash! I've ignored the fact that you're insulting me! But now you're going to insult my parentage, _my mother and father_? Let me down!"

Sakura squirmed and tried to put more weight on the see-saw, making it shake and teeter up and down unsteadily. Hokori scrambled to keep the plank firmly touching the ground, but being tall also had its disadvantages- she was unsteady and easily lost her balance, especially with her legs not balanced enough to hold any sudden shift in weight.

Sakura, by this time, had decided on climbing onto the see-saw itself and proceeded to shakily try crossing to the other side of the plank, her expression switching between pain and something fierce, a promise of a retribution of her own for their slander against her family.

Hokori yelped at the intensity the little pinkette was exuding, so surprised was she that she shot up from her crouch unthinkingly and scrambled to get away from the green-eyed monster.

Suddenly, there was no longer any form of weight holding Sakura's side up; the balance was gone. Sakura, who was beginning to lose the battle against the increasing pain, the crescendo of buzzing in her ear and the blinding white flashing in her retina, did not notice Hokori's action until it was too late. The movement jolted her out of balance and as if time was in slow motion, everyone watched in horror as the helpless pinkette was thrown off the see-saw, landing head first onto the unforgiving concrete with a sickening thud.

* * *

"... going to be okay?" There was this muffled voice phasing in and out of her awareness that she recognized- one she had heard hundreds of times before, but for a moment, she experienced a tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon. A second not so familiar voice registered in her head and reassured the first that something was fine, just tired. It wasn't until she heard a male voice (a voice she recognized a few seconds later as her father) that she realized the people were talking about _her_.

But whatever else was said after that no longer occupied her mind as an excruciating throbbing in her temple took up her attention and she groaned pitifully at the pain her abused head was suffering. Her body felt stiff from staying in the same position for who knows how long and her eyes felt itchy from the disgusting crust that coated the edges due to sleep.

A gentle hand touched her forehead fleetingly, like the touch of a butterfly's wings, smoothing out the wrinkles forming there and ever so slowly, Sakura blinked her way back to the the land of the living. Lifting a hand lethargically to rub away at her eyes, she opened them to stare at a stark white ceiling and flinched at the harsh white light flooding her vision. Sakura licked her dry lips in bewilderment, wariness swimming in her mind as she tried to figure out exactly where she was, before trying to choke out what might have resembled a question.

"Where-" She coughed incessantly at the itch forming in her parched throat.

The hand on her forehead removed its presence and not a minute later, returned to slide itself behind her back, slowly helping her up. When she was lowered again, her back met soft, yielding pillows propping her into a semi-sitting position. A glass of water proceeded to enter her vision and the rim tipped toward her dry lips for her to take slow, tentative sips of cool water.

"You're in the hospital, Haruno-chan." Sakura turned her head slowly towards the voice so as not to aggravate the hammering she felt in her skull, and saw a nurse standing beside her bed, leaning slightly over her to observe her facial expression. "How are you feeling, dear? Do you hurt anywhere?" The nurse asked with a concerned frown when she observed the petal- pink haired child's pale features, her lips void of the pinkish hue healthy children should have.

Sakura tried to blink away her swimming vision as she slowly processed the question. "My head hurts..." She croaked.

"Hm... I'll have to give you another dose of pain killers soon. Give me a minute..." The nurse proceeded to mumble to herself and left her bedside.

It was then that she was able to observe the stark white room, bare of any decorations. She was positioned in the far end of the room, near the wide windows with an old fashioned heater sitting under the sill. The nurse returned holding a liquid-filled needle, whilst she was observing her unfamiliar environment, with which she promptly applied whatever was in it to a clear bag hanging on a metal pole. She then turned towards some beeping, intimidating looking machines placed on the left side of her hospital bed, jotting down the dizzying amount of words and numbers she could not make sense of, onto papers clipped neatly on the well-worn clipboard. On the other end of the room were simple cabinets, a sink and soap dispenser, and two doors, one of which Sakura knew would be the exit. All in all, her room was spartan, organized, generic... lifeless.

One of the doors opened, pulling her out of her observations, to reveal her father coming in from a brightly lit hall, a cup of hot beverage in hand. For a moment, the father and daughter looked at one another in silence, unsure of what to say.

But what could be said? It'd been a long time since they actually saw much of each other, Sakura realized. Almost four months, to be exact. Finally, the tense silence was broken when the nurse politely coughed to get her father's attention.

"Well, Haruno-chan seems to be quite fine, Haruno-san. She had a mild concussion, scraped elbows and knees, wrenched shoulder muscles and a sprained ankle. None of which were not taken care of by our medics here. She'll need to rest here for one more night and should be ready to go by tomorrow morning. I would suggest, though, that she take another day of rest before she goes back to school." the nurse turned to smile gently at Sakura, ruffling her already messy bed-hair carefully. "I know you'll want to see your friends at school as soon as you can but with that headache, I want you to rest a bit longer, okay? I'm sure your friends can wait just one more day after all."

"One more- how long was I asleep?" Sakura questioned, perplexed by the way the nurse phrased her last sentence. However, it was her father who answered the question.

"Since yesterday afternoon." he stated gruffly. "You had your mother and I worried. What happened?"

Sakura flinched slightly at her father's gruff tone, feeling extremely uncomfortable. "Uh... I- I must have fallen o- off the see-saw I was playing on in the park. I- It's nothing much, father."

An awkward silence filled the room after that. The nurse, as young as she seemed, noticed the change in atmosphere quickly and wisely excused herself with a swift but friendly "get better soon, Haruno-chan!" before disappearing out the door.

"How are you feeling, Sakura?" Sakura couldn't get used to hearing her father speaking to her, the rough deep voice she instinctively knew as his and the angular shoulders she still remembered holding onto when he used to give her piggy-back rides.

"I'm a lot better now, father." Sakura whispered self-consciously. She dipped her head in shame. "I'm sorry I worried you and mother... Where is mother?"

Her father glanced at her for a moment, back slumped slightly into the seat he had taken beside her bed, before looking out the window with an indescribable expression on his face. It was then Sakura's little heart clenched with an aching pain, a kind of pain that made it hard for her to breathe, as if her heart was slowly stabbed through with the senbon they were learning to use at the academy.

 _Who is he? Do I really know this person?_

Suddenly, her father seemed like a stranger to her, as if he was so so far away, despite sitting a mere five inches from her bed.

"Your mother was here a while ago, right before you woke up. She had to leave to meet an extremely important client, however. Told me she might be able to come see you again tonight before visiting hours are over."

"Oh... Okay."

Another bout of silence blanketed over them, each uncertain of what to say. It _had_ been a long time since they even sat in the same room, let alone spoke to each other, after all. If her father wasn't arguing with her mother, he was out of the house, doing god knows what.

Finally, just when the deadened atmosphere became unbearable, her father stood up from his seat and drank the rest of his now cold beverage in a single gulp. He threw the empty cup in the bin near the window and dusted off his pants self-consciously, before turning to his pink-haired child.

"I'll have to leave now..." For some reason, her father hesitated before continuing. "I'll pick you up tomorrow with some new clothes. Get some good rest for today. I'll see you in the morning."

Sakura swallowed the hollow feeling that was rising in her, forcing it back down her throat. "Okay. Good day, father. I'll see you tomorrow."

Her father studied her for a brief moment before he nodded and left, closing the door behind him quietly.

That evening, Sakura cried silently to herself; the ache, the questioning of her place in her family, of what was _happening_ to her family, became too much for her to bear. Sure, she was only so young, seven going on eight. But it didn't mean she didn't notice things, heard things, _saw_ things. The tears and the exhaustion from the heaving sobs she tried to hold in as quietly as possible put her to sleep that night, only waking briefly when a gentle yet hesitant hand combed through her slightly sweaty locks of pink, and a soothing, sorrowful voice filtered into her ears unintelligibly- one she now instantly (and instinctively, now that she didn't have a headache) knew as her mother's.

* * *

"You should thank the boys who brought you in, Sakura-chan. They were so cute and concerned for you, when they carried you in the day before!"

A new nurse had come in to help pull out the needles attached to her arm and press some buttons here and there on the machines as she changed out of the hospital gown and into the clothes her father brought her. He was waiting outside when she took a shower and washed out the sweaty smell out of her hair. She scrunched up her nose as she remembered how terrible the odor was.

Sakura turned to the nurse, her head tilting in childlike confusion. This nurse was much more cheery and girly, nothing like the gently smiling nurse who was here yesterday; this one had immediately addressed her by her first name. But that was okay too. She had liked both nurses because they were really nice to her.

"Who were they? How did they look like?"

"Hm..." The nurse tapped her index finger to her chin thoughtfully, as she looked to the ceiling as if it had the answers to her questions. Her shoulder-length, black hair swished almost silently from behind the white nurse's bandanna tied on her head. "They were both quite young. Definitely siblings, seeing how they looked so much alike. The older one must have been eleven? Twelve? He wore his hair in a low, short ponytail. The younger one was really cute! Probably a few years younger than the older. They both have black hair, but the younger one... his hair roots must be growing in opposite directions in the back because they stuck out so cutely!" She squealed at this and screwed her eyes shut at the adorableness she imagined. Sakura could only scratch her head awkwardly and shy away from the nurse at the display. "But they didn't give me their names... They had stitchings on the back of their shirts; clan symbols, I think. I just can't really remember what the symbol looked like since I only saw it briefly in our hurry to see to you. They looked familiar too. Red and white."

The pinkette nodded at the information and smiled at the borderline hyperactive nurse. "Thank you, nurse-san. I'll be sure to thank them properly."

"Yes, please do! And say hi to them for me!"

The door to the hall opened and her father looked into the room. "Are you ready, Sakura? We need to get home soon."

"I'm ready, father."

The walk home allowed Sakura to think and process what she'd been told of her rescuers. Even though she had fallen by then, they still came and helped get her to the hospital. That was nice of them and no one had been like that besides Ino... No, there was one other person. Uzumaki Naruto had been nice as well when they bumped into each last year. And the more she thought about that name, the more she felt she'd heard it from somewhere else as well. She just couldn't recall it.

 **I thought you had photographic memory, idiot. How could you forget something so simple?**

 _I hear sarcasm there. And I thought you claimed to be me. If that's true, then aren't you calling yourself an idiot as well? Why can't YOU remember then?_ Sakura crinkled her brow and puckered her lips in distaste as she imagined the possibility of Inner really being herself. _And I see you're talking again. You haven't spoken till now._

"Is everything okay? You're frowning, Sakura." Her father had stopped walking and was looking down at her, awkward concern on his face. Sakura quickly waved her hands in front of her and shook her head to relieve her father's worries.

"Uh, I'm fine father! I was just thinking about something."

Her father studied her for a moment, nodded and continued walking, but not before telling her to be careful of tripping if she was not paying attention to the road. She dipped her head in embarrassment and apologized. Her father frowned.

Sakura quickly dismissed the whiskered boy from her thoughts. Later. She will try to remember just where she'd met the boy before, but right now, she can't have her thoughts going off on a tangent. She needed to find the brothers and thank them.

 _They have black hair and they had a symbol on their back. It was red and white; only shinobi clans are allowed to have more than one color in their symbol so that means they're from a shinobi clan. They're children and if the younger one is around my age, then he's still in the academy, maybe even in my class..._

And so for the next few days, she worked her mind around the information, trying to figure out who the brothers were. It wasn't until she went to the library and found a book on the clans that lived in Konoha that she came upon the Uchiha fan crest. Now, knowing the symbol, the clues she had clicked into place as she realized just who it was that helped her. Uchiha Sasuke, the one boy all the girls went crazy over, the one her bullies mentioned (and threatened physical harm on her should she try approaching him; she was too scared to after that) with zealous passion, to the point where she could imagine hearts floating out of their eyes as they worshiped the very tissue he used to blow his nose in. Apparently, he had an older brother as well.

The very revelation made her worry about several things. One was that, if her bullies caught her approaching the brothers, she would be killed by the angry mob of harpies. Another was the fact that her Ino-chan was nursing a crush on Uchiha Sasuke as well, so would she think the pinkette was stealing her crush? That worried her the most. And how would she find the both of them together? The clan compounds were off limits unless the person was invited in by a clan member. That would mean Sakura had to catch the both of them when the academy students were picked up after school, if his older brother ever picks him up. But that made her feel like the bullies who stalked the younger sibling, which was creepy. And the reactions she might get from Ino-chan and the bullies...

Sakura, shook her head violently, dispelling the uneasiness she felt. Luckily, she was in her room alone, so no one caught her weird actions. She didn't want to be looked upon as crazy, of course.

 _Didn't I say to myself that enough was enough? They not only insulted me, but my parentage, my parents. How can I protect my family honor, my place in this family if I continue to be so wimpy?! Ino-chan is right. She's always right. I can't let them get to me like that anymore. I need to be stronger!_

 **About time, brat! I was _waiting_ for the day you'd get that through your thick head! **

_Hey! Aren't calling yourself a brat in turn?_

 **What, so you're finally acquiescing to the fact that I'm you? You've been so stubborn about it!**

 _Uh... No I'm not you!_ Sakura's cheeks burned at her bumbling. Inner shrugged and carried on.

 **But, yes. Who cares about those harpies? You have your duty to thank them for helping you when you needed it. It's not just because you were taught that this is etiquette, but the fact that they _chose_ to help when not many people do. Uchiha Sasuke, no less, when his fans were all there at the park. Whether they were still there when they helped you is unknown, though.**

 _Yeah. I know. And I want to be stronger... I know... mother and father are having problems now, but I still love them. And I know... they care too. The stupid bullies have no right to insult them! You know what? As a matter of fact, I'll go to them tomorrow if the older brother shows up! I hope he does... And I'll thank them both properly!_

Nodding to herself in firm resolve, Sakura, quickly turned off her lamp light and climbed into bed, excited to meet her new found goals in the morning.

But all that excitement went down the drain the next day after classes were over. It took some convincing before Ino-chan was willingly to head home first without the pinkette. Sakura honestly told her that she was waiting for someone so she could thank them for helping her when she was injured the week before, due to bullying. Ino-chan had been blind with fury when Sakura came back to school and she learned of the pinkette's situation, vowing to beat the bullies within an inch of their lives. That also took some convincing against, with soothing words and reassurances, before the blue-eyed girl calmed down.

Sakura, however, couldn't bring herself to tell Ino-chan _who_ it was that saved her. She was too afraid of Ino-chan hating her.

As she waited sitting on the make-shift swing hung on the tree in the school yard, she felt her stomach churn and twist in anxiety. What should she say? Just go up to them, say thank you and then walk away? That would make her look ungrateful. What could she do? Ah! She was going to have a panic attack!

Before she could even begin to calm her nerves down, she spotted Uchiha Sasuke coming out of the school building, trotting quickly to the gates to avoid all the crazy fan girls who might run him over in their fervor to hug him, or touch his hair... A black blur jumped to the ground at the gates where the young spiky haired boy now stood. Indeed, the older Uchiha looked very much like the younger sibling. Like, the nurse had described, Uchiha Itachi looked to be a few years older than the younger sibling. He had his hair tied loosely at the nape of his neck. He was also dressed in the black attire of a shinobi- an ANBU, to be exact, if she remembered the hierarchy from class properly (of course she does). Despite the lack of a mask that ANBU had to wear during missions, the telling sign of a tanto strapped to his back was enough to cue her in as to what his status was. And at such a young age too, she thought to herself in awe and instant admiration.

Quickly realizing that this was her chance, she slid easily off the swing and hurried to the gates before they could leave. The both of them sensed her approach, and for a swift second, she saw fear in the younger sibling's eyes, before his face contorted into a scowl.

 **So he thinks we're one of his harpies.**

Sakura frowned at Inner's statement. She would have to rectify that misunderstanding immediately.

She finally jogged up to the pair, panting slightly at the effort and the younger Uchiha's scowl deepened. Sakura winced a little at the look, knowing what he was probably thinking; her stamina during their required jogs were abysmal if not downright embarrassing. But she'll deal with that later.

Uchiha Itachi chuckled slightly at his otouto's disgruntled expression and nudged him gently in the shoulder, shaking his head subtly in gentle rebuke when the younger's spiky, messy head turned to regard him. His otouto deflated a little after that.

"Anou... I, uh... I wanted to thank you for helping me, when I got injured uh... in the park." The petal-haired girl fumbled with the hem of her red shirt nervously, her head dipping low to look at the ground. She stiffened for a second, making the older Uchiha wonder at what the girl was thinking in her head. Finally, the girl straightened her spine and bowed formally in the forty-five degree angle and punctuated her words more clearly. "What I want to say is, you didn't have to help me, but you did anyway. So I'm really grateful!"

The pinkette softened her next words, however. "Because not a lot of people would really want to help a civilian ninja wanna-be like me..."

Uchiha Itachi frowned at that. From what she was inferring, many of the academy kids have been bullying her not just because of her peculiar coloring, but because she was a _civilian_ who just wanted to be a kunoichi who served their village. Just like a certain blond haired boy who was given the end of the stick despite his and his family's sacrifice. Though his parentage... Well, that was another matter altogether.

Uchiha Itachi pushed away that thought for the moment and focused on the head of pink locks still in the bowed form, smiling gently at her well-mannered decorum.

"Please, no need to bow like that." The older sibling murmured with slight mirth in his voice at her fidgeting. "It was only right for us to help someone when they needed it... How did you find out it was us? I never left our names to the nurse who took you in for treatment."

The girl straightened up from her bow and looked at him sheepishly.

"Well,... um... the nurse kind of described the two of you to me. From how young she described you to me, I deduced that your younger brother was the same age as me and would be in the academy because she remembered you had a clan symbol on the back of your shirts. It was red and white, so I looked up shinobi clan symbols in the library since only shinobi clans can have two or more colors and found out you were Uchiha. There is only one Uchiha my age who's enrolled in the academy, so I concluded that it was Uchiha Sasuke-san and that he had an elder brother..." Sakura flushed in embarrassment when she realized she was babbling away. "I- I'm sorry for talking so much!" She waved her hands in front of her frantically. "But don't worry! I'm not some fan girl! I- I just wanted to thank you both!"

He saw his otouto visibly relax from his peripheral vision, at her exclamation. He was always so easily trusting of what others told him, taking everything at face value. But looking at the emerald-eyed child in front of him, with her face red from nerves, he could tell that she was genuine and sincere in her gratitude. Just a tad bit on the shy side.

And from what she had said, this girl also had a good head on her shoulders, for her age. She was able to put clues together and figure out who they were exactly from just what a nurse had seen. Impressive for a child her age and a civilian who might not have been brought up to be so analytically inclined, nonetheless.

"You're welcome. Don't worry about it. I'm glad you're okay now... ?" The taller Uchiha trailed off to imply that he had no idea how to address her.

The girl's green eyes widened when she realized that she hadn't introduce herself properly and bowed her head again in embarrassment. It seemed to be happening to her a lot, the older Uchiha observed in amusement.

"I'm sorry! It's silly of me to have not introduced myself. Hajimemashite! My name is Haruno Sakura. Once again, I'm grateful to make your acquaintance!"

The long-haired Uchiha chuckled while his otouto snorted slightly at such a formal introduction.

"No need to be so formal. My name is Uchiha Itachi, and you can call me Itachi, if you'd like."

"Then you can call me Sakura, Itachi-san!"

Itachi nudged his otouto again, and his little brother huffed but complied.

"S'alright." He muttered reluctantly. "Just helping my aniki... and doing what needed to be done, anyhow. I'm Uchiha Sasuke. You can call me Sasuke, I guess..." Sasuke's ears burned a little in a sudden moment of bashfulness, though he tried to hide it with his next heated words. "But only as long as you don't turn all fan girl on me!"

Sakura brightened at that, feeling exhilaration at the possibility of making new friends.

"Okay! I won't, Sasuke-san, I promise! Let's be friends!"

 **A/N: So another chapter done!**

 **I'm surprised at the sudden extra length this chapter became and right now, my back is aching from sitting with a bad posture while I was writing this... (I know, I yell at myself for my idiocy. I can only blame myself for the repercussions. )**

 **Anyway, here are the names I used and their meaning. Also, there are some symbolization going on in each of these chapters, some obvious, and some not. So... ehehe let me know if it made sense to you guys!**

 **Fukō: misfortune, grief, depression, sadness, disaster etc. (** **不幸** **). Sakura, however, does not realize the significance of the name's meaning. She doesn't understand why Inner manifested with such a name and goes ranting all the time. But she might in the future.**

 **Hokori: If written as** **誇り** **, means pride. But if it's written as plain hiragana,** **ほこり** **, it means dust. There's a reason for that of course, and will be used in the future.**

 **xxxxxx**

 **The reason for Sakura's sudden intense headache during the scuffle in the park will be slowly revealed in the future. Not exactly sure when yet myself, but there is a huge significance to it, and it has something to do with her split personality problem (something that wasn't used to it's full potential for canon!Sakura. But let's not get into detail here and ruin the story for you guys, right? Haha.**

 **By the way, if you guys check the top your head and look at the hair roots, you'll notice that the roots grow in a certain direction; a swirl, if you will. For some, there is only one direction. But for other people, there may be two different swirls going in opposite directions. My mum's friend's son (what a mouthful!) has a double swirl that goes in opposite directions. That's why his hair always looks messy no matter how much his mother tries to tame it. He's still a little kid right now, so he looks cute despite the mess. That's what the nurse meant when she described Sasuke's "duck-butt" hair style, as some people call it. When I heard of that description, I laughed so hard, my sister was giving me weird looks... Let's not dwell on that Ehehe. But I might reference it later in the story by, of course, Naruto-kun.**

 **xxxxxx**

 **By the way, this chapter was supposed to be a LOT longer than what's posted here. It's just that I didn't want you guys to start expecting mammoth-sized chapters and then be disappointed when I don't have the time to make them longer when the Fall semester starts. As a college student who is in the performing arts(Half foot in that and half foot in the medical field), it's kind of tough to have to juggle so many things at once. So there may be times when chapters might be brutally short. I hope you can forgive me of that. I also know that the plot is kind of going slow right now, but all this information needs to be dished out and laid down as the foundation for this story. I hope you can forgive me of this too and continue to support me. I'm sort of the kind of person who plots while writing, and sometimes (frustratingly so) I already have an ending to a story just begun, but have no idea how to get there during the middle. Kind of like a dorayaki missing the anko filling. How weird is that? Yeah, that's me.**

 **Anywho, please give me feedback! Your ideas and thoughts are what motivates me and allows me to think of all the possibilities that I've couldn't have thought of before. I'm a serious writer and I love criticisms when they are appropriately suggested. It's what makes authors inspired and mature.**

 **Anticipate the next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4: Storm Clouds Chasing Shadows

**A/N: Standard disclaimer: I wish I owned Naruto and everything in it, but unfortunately, I don't and Kishimoto-sensei does... Blast it!**

Chapter 4: Storm Clouds Chasing Shadows

Sakura sat stiffly and quietly behind her mother in a large private dining room of a restaurant, as her mother discussed business matters with other bank CEOs. She could hardly keep up with the finance terminologies and jargons they used in whatever heated debate they were having, limited as she was in her vocabulary. All she heard were bits and pieces such as "suspicious transactions", "is that company worth buying shares from", and some words she learned just yesterday: "overdraft", "asset", and "dividend". Sakura sighed into the plate of food in front of her. As proud as she was to catch at least that much in the conversations, she was quickly growing bored from her inability to understand it in context.

Stabbing at the perfectly grilled kampachi fillet in front of her in an unladylike and depreciating manner, she couldn't help but be hyper aware of the near frigid temperature of the air conditioned room and the stiff feeling of the zabuton cushion she sat on, legs tucked neatly under her in a proper, elegant fashion. The coolness of the tatami mats seeped through her tabi socks and nipped at her toes as she struggled to remain properly seated without fidgeting. She couldn't lean against a table either, as she usually would, because this restaurant was extremely formal and traditional, down to serving their food on individual hakozen trays, which made it impossible to lean on anything. It also regulated her into sitting a respectable four feet behind her mother as opposed to sitting directly to her right.

Two deliberate coughs coming from the front of the room killed off all conversation instantly and brought everyone's attention to the man sitting at the head of the meeting. He was in his late fifties, well-built if not for his slightly protruding belly and squinty eyes behind a set of thick and expensive looking, gold-plated glasses. Like everyone else in the room he wore traditional garb, made of silk dyed a dark forest green. His deep blue haori overcoat was draped elegantly over his shoulders and the family crest sewn onto both flaps of the collar signified his role as the head of Konoha's civilian banking association; a white circular crest resembling that of the yuan coin, the five petaled plum within the circle, a black full moon with the right and left side eaten away was within the square at the center, and finally, the five leaves of the Aesculus tree on each of the flower petals. Sitting in the formal seiza position, he held the aura of authority and intimidation as he slowly observed the people seated before him and when his eyes looked upon her mother and then, on her, the pinkette couldn't help but shiver slightly at the intensity within his gaze. Finally, after a pause in the silence, he spoke.

"We have two important matters to discuss tonight which are imperative for us to come to a conclusion on or a plan of action. As much as I wish to have you enjoy your meal for a while longer, the night does not wait upon us." His succinct and controlled voice echoed slightly across the room and as softly as he was speaking, it resonated as if he was shouting. "The first matter at hand is of Kasamura Engi-san's absence in today's semiannual meeting, I'm sure you've noticed. As of today, he is declared missing, as well as his entire family within three generations."

The room erupted in anxious whispers and suppressed cries of disbelief and apprehension. Sakura herself, was shaken. She knew Kasamura oji-san as a quiet but insightful and patient man, who valued quality and dedication. He also looked after and checked up on her once in awhile on the occasion her parents went on long business trips out of the village. For him and so many of his family members to be missing so suddenly was both mind boggling and worrying.

"Quiet."

The crescendoing whispers died down immediately at the command.

"I am currently cooperating with both our police as well as with the Konoha Keimu Butai, with the consent and knowledge of Hokage-sama. For the vice- chairman of this association along with such a large amount of family members to go missing in one day is both disconcerting and dangerous. If any one of you have information, you are to report it to me immediately and have a written document ready to be handed over to Hokage-sama, is that clear?" Everyone quickly nodded with murmured affirmatives. A hand shot up quickly from across Sakura's side of the room, causing the little girl to peer at the woman wearing a burgundy colored kimono decorated by cranes, holding her family plaque up into the air.

"What of the position then, Kagomori-sama? We cannot have it remain empty! Leaving that position unoccupied will surely cause chaos!"

"I was about to address that matter, Tsuruta-san" He looked sharply at her and she quickly retracted her hand in embarrassment. "As I had mentioned before, both our police and the Konoha Military Police are actively investigating into this incident. I received a letter yesterday evening from Hokage-sama containing a will Kasamura-san wrote and hid within a safe in one his banks. Among the things listed in his will, he also wrote down who he would like to take his place should he either pass away or step down." There was a strained pause as everyone waited intensely for Kagomori to announce the successor.

"He has named Haruno Mebuki-san as his successor."

"What?!"

"Impossible!"

"Why?!"

"How does that make sense?!"

The sudden explosion of shocked exclamations had Sakura jumping out of her seat, her numb legs knocking into the hakozen and spilling her unfinished soup onto the tatami. She quickly wiped it dry with her napkin, with shaking hands and a trembling body. Her mother was no different when the girl chanced a glance at her stiff form. The pale-haired Mebuki was trying to control her trembling back and to clear her face of the frown threatening to form, thinning her lips in a firm line and her eyes turning into a look of steel at the onslaught of protests and questions.

"Silence! This was written in Kasamura-san's will and as unorthodox as it may be, there is no other person within his remaining family members suitable for the position, nor is there anything about Haruno-san that would be a cause for worry in considering her as a possible candidate. Unless any of you have reasons to go against Kasamura-sans's will? If you have, please, do raise your plaques and voice your objections."

For a brief moment, every member in the dining hall looked warily or glared at Mebuki, who in turn, tried to burn a hole in her hakozen, though the rest of her face was devoid of an expression. Sakura looked worriedly at her mother's rigid back, imagining all the aches and pains her mother might be causing from sitting so. However, when no one raised a plaque, Kagomori huffed slightly through his nose in irritation at the spectacle.

"Now those who agree to follow and acknowledge Kasamura-san's will, naming Haruno-san as the vice-chairman at least until Kasamura-san is found, please place your plaques in front of your hakozen to be recorded by the scribe."

The dull thud of wood meeting the tatami floor followed the request and soon, every one of the plaques were in front of their owner's hakozen, while a scribe whom Sakura now realized was sitting in a corner in front of the room, went by each plaque and wrote down the family name as well as requesting each member to ink and stamp their seal next to their respective names. The process took a few minutes and when it was over, the scribe hurriedly tiptoed back to his seat behind the writing table, poised to continue recording the meeting as the room settled down.

"The second matter is of the recent rise in power of a certain tycoon I'm sure you all know the name of. From our records, there have been some very frequent and questionable transactions happening through several of your banks, involving abnormally large sums of money. I want those who have accounts opened for him to be vigilant in observing this company and document the amount of money flowing in and out of those accounts, from whom and to whom. Those who do not, I expect his portfolio or anything you can dig up and find, whether it be information on his assets, any growth stock or investments he has made within the past ten years. As the new vice-chairman, Haruno-san, you will be reviewing these reports and forwarding them to me. Are there any questions?" When no one moved, Kagomori tapped his plaque and nodded his head. "Then I officially end this meeting and I implore you to continue to enjoy your meal as well as the provided sake and shochu." He clapped his hands loudly twice and attendants came rushing in to provide fresh food and bottles of heated sake and shochu. Sakura glanced up as her mother turned slightly towards her.

"We will stay a little while longer and finish eating." She murmured in a tight voice. "We will leave as soon as etiquette allows us to without seeming rude." Sakura nodded and Mebuki hummed in approval before turning to her own fresh dishes. The pink-haired girl quickly (but not too quickly, of course!) began eating her now demolished and cold kampachi fillet and any rice or pickled vegetables left on her plates before the attendants came and replaced those dishes with three new ones: they contained seasonal simmered mushrooms, broiled eggplants with a miso glaze, and two wagashi made of red beans respectively. They also placed a cup of hot genmaicha tea to replace the cold one and Sakura thanked them quietly. The attendant smiled gently, nodded and left to serve the next person, leaving Sakura to dwell on the announcements and the aftermath of the meeting, what it might possibly mean to her family…. and to her own position as the family heir.

* * *

"Sakura!"

"Sakura, pay attention, seriously!" The voice of a young boy broke through her thoughts, bringing her back to the present, only to realize that she managed to trip over her own legs and fell over in a tangled heap.

"Ow!" Sakura groaned dazedly and heard the voice from earlier let out a defeated sigh next her before a hand in front of her caught her attention. Looking up, she recognized that the voice as well as the outstretched hand as belonging to Sasuke and quickly took the proffered hand to get up off the ground before he grew impatient. It was then she remembered what she was doing. She was supposed to be jogging around the schoolyard with Sasuke coaching her.

After their first meeting, Sasuke complained that she lacked stamina and strength, and demanded that she start jogging in the early morning if she wanted "to be friends with my awesome aniki too!". Itachi also came by to watch occasionally on the rare chance he wasn't on a mission. He would quietly give pointers to her in terms of jogging or kata forms and when she was busy with that, comment on Sasuke's kunai throwing, much to the young boy's delight and fed the growing tree that was his hero worshipping of his older brother.

Sakura stuttered in embarrassment, "S-sorry, Sasuke-san! I did not mean to lose focus when you have been so willing to help me!"

Sasuke scowled at the pinkette's use of extremely formal speech. "Sheesh, didn't I tell you to drop the stupid formal speech already? And stop with the "Sasuke-san". It's annoying. Just Sasuke is fine, since I know you're not one of those crazy girls who waste too much time making my life miserable instead of training to at least pass their classes." Sakura giggled slightly at Sasuke's way of pouting, watching as he glared to the side with his arms crossed in front of his chest in a show of annoyance. At least he finally acknowledged that she wasn't one of those harpies and was now much more friendly towards her, if not blunt.

 **But you still need to maintain a certain distance.** Inner pointed out, **Be seen being overly familiar with Sasuke and you're going to be tied and roasted above an open fire pit in ten seconds flat by those chits. Dancing and singing to some random sadistic god too, to prolong your agony.**

 _I know that, Inner!_ Sakura snipped. Her relaxed expression went back that slightly frowning, far-off look that had Sasuke annoyed in the first place.

"Oi! If you can't concentrate, then forget it! You can't even jog properly without you tripping on dust." Sasuke grumbled. Sakura quickly jolted and sent him a pleading look.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke-sa- , sorry! I really am!" Sakura cried out desperately, "I really do want to get better and stronger!...It's just that there's been a lot on my mind…. but I know that shouldn't be an excuse." Sakura trailed off and the raven-haired boy squirmed at the pitiful look on her face. What if she started crying?! That was the last thing he wanted on his hands- his older brother would surely box his ears thoroughly for making a girl cry.

"Uhh, let's just take a break then." he said as gruffly as an eight-year old possibly could. "Let's sit by that tree", pointing to a massive oak to their left. The girl nodded and soon, they were leaning against the rough and firm trunk. "... What's up with you?"

Emerald eyes kept their gaze on the dry, dirt ground and the roots of the massive tree which traveled beside her thigh before disappearing into the ground. She felt like disappearing into the ground as well. As much as she wanted to disclose and open the floodgates which held back the mighty torrent of chaotic thoughts in her head, the logical part of her mind knew that there were many things she couldn't just callously share with him. And too many things have been happening in her life as of late, so even if she was allowed to share, she didn't even know where to possibly begin. She had never felt so isolated as she did now. Just as she opened her mouth to answer his question, Sasuke beat her to it.

"Wait, are you worried that you'd get bullied even more if you were seen with me?!" Sasuke demanded, scowling at the idea. "Just work harder, get stronger, and you won't have to worry about being helpless, right?"

It was what had been on her mind at that moment, true, but Sasuke's solution to that problem was much easier said than done. And a part of his statement hurt Sakura more than she thought it would too, because they rang true. She was helpless in many ways. She was not very strong at this point and despite having resolved to become better, she still hesitated, wondering if she really was able to follow through. She was short for her age, and as a girl from a civilian family, it was hard to improve as quickly as she could have, had she come from a shinobi family who would be able to guide her smoothly outside of school time.

And then, there was what was going on in her family. With so many sudden issues springing on her and her family left and right, in both their occupation as well as in the domestic arena, she felt so helpless with her life; she'd struggle to grasp onto to any semblance of familiarity and security, only to be swept into a raging current she could not get out of. Her issues with bullies were the least of her problems.

But she smiled genuinely at Sasuke, grateful for his concern, as reluctant and awkward as he was in expressing it. And she certainly wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth; he had given her the way out of her predicament in whether to tell him her troubling situation or not.

"I… well, I guess so. It's just… I guess I'm having friend problems. There's Ino," Sasuke immediately scowled at the name, remembering the loud and overly _touchy-feely_ blond who made it her mission to jump him whenever she caught sight of his unruly hair within a mile radius. The pink-haired girl watched him shudder at the thought, in both amusement and sympathy, and quickly tried to ease his discomfort. "I know she's always very blunt and can be loud ("that's saying it nicely" Sasuke groused), b-but she really likes you…and I don't want to upset her… N-not that I don't want to be y-your friend either! I do! But she always jumps to conclusions so easily..." Sakura pulled at her hair and sighed dejectedly. Why was life becoming so much more complicated as she grew older?! Why couldn't she seem to find a way to be friends with both of them without having to worry about negative repercussions?!

"Look, let's just deal with that when it gets there." The boy sighed impatiently. "Besides, if she really wanted to be your friend, don't you think that she wouldn't hold petty grudges like that?"

Sakura stared at him in surprise at the mature advice coming out of his mouth, to which he abruptly grew pink in the ears with embarrassment and promptly pushed her none too gently by her shoulder and gruffly told her that break was done, and that she had better get herself together and focus on her running. Sakura smiled hesitantly and nodded before the both of them went back to their exercises. She had a lot to sort out and think through, true, but for now she'll try to face her problems one step at a time.

* * *

There'd been just something about the recent clan meetings that unsettled twelve-year old Itachi. The elders of the clan would normally drag the meeting out for as long as possible to huff and complain about their mistreatment by the Konoha leaders, about the Hokage being inadequate and unfit to be a leader. Why wasn't an Uchiha ever mentioned as a possible Hokage candidate? Why weren't the Uchiha allowed to enter the _Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai_ as often as other shinobi? Why weren't the higher ranked missions made more available to the Uchiha? Why did they have to relocate those years ago, made to be isolated from the rest of the village? Why did they have to be blamed for the Kyuubi attack seven years ago? Why, why, why?

Their complaints were a never ending list of 'why's' and 'what if's', as well as a whole plethora of questions against the Hokage, enough to indict them with treason. They would then pester the head of the clan, his father, Uchiha Fugaku, to make sure Itachi climbed the political ladder to more power faster. As a member of the Black Ops, Itachi already broke the record of being the youngest to ever be admitted into this elite group, despite the Hokage's displeasure at the idea of having such a young _child_ being in an extremely demanding and brutal environment that was Anbu. But it wasn't enough for the group of wrinkled men and women who claimed to act for the sake of their clan's well being. It was _never_ enough. They needed more power, more strength, more influence in order to bring back the glory to their illustrious clan. To bring back honor to their name as a co-founder of this very village.

But the meetings in the recent months were rather short, and held an atmosphere so stifling, heavy, and _cold_ that comparing the previous meetings to this, was akin to saying the kyuubi had just been an overgrown pup romping into Konoha looking for playmates that night seven years ago. There was something about the way the elders were looking at his father, who would scowl fiercely, and himself that alerted the young heir to something foreboding. The elders were planning something, and his instincts as well as observations were telling him that it was most definitely a dangerous venture. And he needed to know exactly what it was the clan elders were brewing, if it were to potentially put Konoha at risk.

Pacing himself with calculated steps, he observed the villagers flitting about doing their daily tasks as he leisurely walked back to the Uchiha compound from his post-mission check up at the hospital. There were laughter and chatter among friends hanging out after school or neighbours bumping into each other while grocery shopping, savory aroma from nearby food stalls, brilliant array of colors from clothing and bookstores, and gift shops. All of these simple things in life he loved and cherished. This was his Will of Fire, to protect and to safeguard the happiness he sees each day as he walks through the village; it's also the reason why he would often walk at a civilian's pace so he could remind himself, as he watched, why he completed his missions, no matter how gruesome and against his pacifistic nature they may be.

He was close to the compound gates when one of the Uchiha gate guards noticed him and quickly approached him, relaying quietly that his father has summoned him to his office at the military force headquarters.

"Otou-sama" Itachi greeted quietly when he heard the command to open the door at his quiet knocking. His father's office was near spartan in appearance, with only the bare essentials to allow the head of the Force to do his work; a large oak desk buried in papers, manila folders and scrolls, two chairs facing each other across the desk and black bookshelves lining nearly all four walls stuffed with more books and scrolls. There was no carpeting, no cushion, no plants on the window sill, nothing to give the dreary office some color except for a single dark blue photo frame on the desk Itachi knew held a family photo they had taken in the photography studio. He'd been six and Sasuke had just turned one year old.

"Itachi." Fugaku greeted, his posture stiff and tense. His shoulders were broad and the years of being a shinobi who served in both the Third Shinobi World War and during the Kyuubi attack, and later, as the head of the Konoha Military Police Force, made his lips turn down in a perpetual frown. But today, that frown seemed to be fiercer than usual. "Have a seat. There is something that I'll be assigning you to investigate."

"Hai." Itachi quickly did as he was told.

"I have been notified that a disturbing incident has occurred in the civilian's district that has even the Hokage unsettled. For this investigation, we will be cooperating with the civilian police force… and if things take a turn for the worst, even the Anbu will be mobilized."

Itachi stiffened at the mention of Anbu being involved, before his eyes narrowed slightly in calculation. The Military Police Force _and_ the Anbu being involved meant the incident was no small matter, and that it dealt with the involvement of potentially A-ranked or higher shinobis.

"This incident involves the disappearance of the vice-chairman of the Konoha's Civilian Banking Association as well as a large number of his family and relatives. The report was filed five days ago and a total of thirty-three people went missing in a single night, with no signs of struggle. What made this circumstance suspicious is that, there was no record of them leaving the village nor was there anything taken that would indicate so, such as leaving for a vacation en masse. The things which _were_ missing are documents pertaining to the civilian banks established within this village, as well as branches opened within other parts of Fire Country." Fugaku sighed inaudibly at the huge headaches that was this case. "For so many people to disappear in one night without raising suspicion is abnormal under civilian circumstances. Hokage-sama thinks so as well, which is why he spoke of the idea of involving Anbu. The two most likely hypotheses are that this family is working with shinobi spies or that high ranking shinobi are involved in a mass kidnapping. Your assignment, Itachi, is to investigate and gather as much information about the circumstances of the incident, the backgrounds of the people involved, and if possible, find out what documents were missing." Fugaku picked up a white scroll with the Police insignia sealing the document, and lightly tossed it to Itachi, who caught it on instinct. "The details are in this scroll. You know the procedures in dealing with the scroll after reading it."

Itachi stood up and bowed. "Hai, I understand, Otou-sama."

"I'll be seeing you at home."

Itachi frowned subtly. That could only mean his father had more things to divulge, but could not be discussed here. His statement meant Itachi was to see his father in his study tonight and his clansmen could not be present to hear it. Could that mean his father suspected his clansmen being involved? Or was there trouble within the clan that was just as troubling?

Itachi quickly bowed again and murmured a quick "please excuse my departure", and headed swiftly for the exit, scroll in hand. His relatives bowed in greeting to the young clan heir and he nodded back in acknowledgement as was normal, his face a mask of detachment and professionalism.

There was definitely more to this case then what met the eye.

* * *

"He's a monster! Get away! The freak's here!"

The group of children playing at the playground had suddenly found themselves in the presence of one whiskered Uzumaki Naruto, panicked in their fear and disgust of him, and fled. Said blond just stood stock still in shock and hurt at the sudden proclamation as he watched the others run like the devil was chasing them, some stopping to pick up stones to throw at him to discourage him from chasing after them. Not like he would anyway. He had lost count of the number of times this happened whenever he wanted to play in the park near the academy during the weekends. It was either of the two extremes when it came to the people's reaction to him; scorned and called names, sometimes being smacked around like a rag doll or ignored when at a far enough distance away from them and flee from him should he be a little too close for their comfort.

It was nothing new to Naruto but it was frustrating and painful all the same. He had no idea what to say and what to think as to why they called him such names. What had he done to be called a freak, a monster or a fox demon? Nothing that he could think of. He'd always minded his own business and tried to make friends by saying hello to other classmates at the academy. But it was to no avail and he was shunned by the whole village for absolutely no reason of his own making.

The unruly haired blond looked despondently at his feet as he scuffled the dirt covered ground with his well-worn shoes. With not a single soul in the playground to play with, he trudged slowly towards the swing set and sat there dejectedly, rocking the swing half-heartedly without exerting any strength to push it into motion.

"Um… hello there. Y-you're Naruto-san, right?" A timid voice reached the lone child's ears and he quickly looked up to see the girl with locks of hair the color of pink clematis flowers, looking at him hesitantly.

"Why are you sitting here alone? Are you… okay?"

For the months after his encounter with oddly colored girl and her violent blond pig-tail of a friend, he rarely got to chance upon the one person who he believed he could have made friends with. But each time, he did catch a glimpse of her, the groupies she was surrounded with, who were definitely the blond girl's friends, would drag her away before Naruto could even be within five feet of her while whispering in her ear and sneering in his direction. No doubt they were telling her all sort of rumours surrounding him and the names he was called in the hopes of discouraging her from approaching him.

For Sakura, the young girl had been trying hard to find an opportunity to speak with the blond boy for months. But each time, she became even more hesitant than the last as questions continually formed in her mind from all the things she had heard about him. Why was he called a fox demon? Why did they sneer at him, taunt him till he looked near bursting into tears? And it wasn't just the group of girls Ino tried to make her be friends with, who were telling her those things, but the adults as well.

When she hesitantly brought up the topic to her mother and father, her mother immediately clammed up, smiled warily at her and tried to steer her child onto another topic. Her father just glared and demanded that she not speak of the demon child in front of him again, saying that he was a murderer and should never have been born.

Sakura still cringed at the memory. How could such a small, scrawny looking child be a murderer? It didn't make sense! He couldn't even defend himself properly when he was pushed around by those slightly taller than him. And where were his parents anyway?

And so when she spotted the whiskered boy slouched on the swing set and not quite swinging on it the way it was meant to be, she hesitated between going up to him to say hello, and heeding her father's warning as well as her friends' words. But when she noticed the pained look on his face, she couldn't help but squeak out a greeting. Those azure eyes which were glazed with tears, made her heart clench, reminding her of those not so distant memories of when she didn't have Ino as her friend and protector, before she got to know Sasuke and Itachi who supported her in their own way.

"It's nothing…"

Sakura frowned. "Then why do you look so sad?"

"I- I…" Naruto hesitated, unsure of what to say. Should he be honest and tell her he didn't understand the other kids' jibes at him or how he felt lonely? "I'm… I'm fine, dattebayou! I'm not sad, uh… Just sleepy!" He tried to grin comically. Sakura didn't seem to buy it, but dropped the question. Instead, she slowly approached the swing set and sat on the empty swing closest to her, which was on the other end of the set, three seats away from Naruto. Silence fell upon the two and nothing save for the sound of slightly creaking chains was heard.

"Anou sa…" The blond boy whispered, breaking the silence. "Do you… do you think I look like a… a d-demon fox?"

"What?" Sakura wrinkled her nose in confusion at the sudden question and turned her head slightly to study the boy on the other end of the swing set. "Well… you have whiskers like a fox… but a demon fox? No, you don't…. Why do people call you that anyway?"

"I don't know." Naruto responded in a tight voice. "I dunno, 'ttebayou! I wanna know why too! Why'd people ignore me? Why'd they hate me? What am I? I hate it! I bet ya if my parents were here, those bastards won't be so mean to me! But no one'll tell me where they are, 'ttebayou! They just keep callin' me an or-fan or some weird word, dattebayou!"

"You mean an orphan? Wait, you-"

"Sakura! Where are you?! Let's go hang out at my place!" Ino's voice suddenly cut off whatever the pinkette was about to say. "The other girls are here already! Sakura!"

Said girl jumped out of her seat nervously, looking between Naruto and the direction of her friend's voice. What if she was seen with the boy?! Ino would be mad at her! Sakura froze at that train of thought and Inner came to the surface of her mind.

 **You know that's kind of a shallow thing to say right? Just who are you trying to fool?**

Sakura winced guiltily and glanced at Naruto, who just smiled defeatedly at her.

"Go, before ya get in trouble with your… friends, 'ttebayou. I'm fine on my own, dattebayou." _I've always been alone. What difference will being alone right now make?_

"Sakura!" Ino's voice yelled again.

"I-I'm coming!" Sakura called back, albeit a lot less loudly. She turned toward Naruto quickly and waved half-heartedly. "I'm sorry… I-I'll go first." She quickly walked to the gates of the playground and nearly bumped into Ino.

"There you are!" The blue eyed girl exclaimed, but stopped short when she spotted the whiskered boy on the playground. "Sakura! Don't tell me you were associating with the dumb freak again! How many times have I told you that it's no good to go near that monster! He'll be a bad influence on you!"

Sakura stuttered and fidgeted around with the hem of her skirt. "I-It's nothing… Let's just go, Ino-chan!"

Ino grumbled before directing a glare at the still seated Naruto, who reciprocated the action with glare of his own. "You better not go anywhere near my friend, you moron! You'll get it from me!" With that, she turned around and quickly dragged her guilt-ridden charge out of the playground toward her home, the Yamanaka Flower Shop.

With their departure, Naruto dropped his glare and turned away from the entrance, once again sobbing quietly to himself.

* * *

Itachi sat stunned before his father who was looking grimly at him. This couldn't be happening! If his father wasn't looking so defeated, so glum, but so absolutely serious at what he just revealed, he would have thought his father was attempting a rather inappropriate joke. But his father was never one for jokes, much less one as crazy and unbelievable as the one he had just heard.

When he had sat down in his father's study, Fugaku had begun to weave a long series of seals that made Itachi immediately stiffen, recognizing the silencing jutsu that prevented anyone from eavesdropping on their conversation. It was the same jutsu Anbu used, as well as the Hokage, when he debriefed high-ranked missions or held important meetings. For his father, who had been an Anbu himself once, to activate a jutsu as high level as this was alarming.

And then, his father proceeded to reveal that the clan elders were plotting a coup d'etat and were demanding their cooperation. They were plotting treason against their Hokage, against the very village they and their ancestors had sworn to protect with their lives. They now demanded for Fugaku to use Itachi as a spy within Anbu and to relay any weaknesses, or other relevant information about the Hokage to them while they slowly hedged enough funds, weaponry and power to proceed with the treacherous act. And because of the political power the clan elders held within the clan, Fugaku could not disobey.

This was the sad reality they now faced. For all that Fugaku was the head of the clan, he was not the one truly in power.

"I'm sorry, my son." Fugaku seemed to suddenly age a decade faster in a blink of a second. "To make you carry this type of burden… for all that I tried to protect you, making sure you grew strong, to steel your resolve so as to teach you to hold your own once you become the new head of this clan, it seems all for naught."

Itachi looked distraughtly at his father's haggard face, something he had never witnessed before. His father always had stood tall and collected, every bit of the strong Uchiha clan leader Konoha expected him to be. He never showed signs of weakness or weariness because to the clan elders and in the political world, to show weakness was to paint a target sign on one's back and encourage the hyenas to jump in for the kill. But now, his father's shoulders were slightly slumped, his expression openly displaying the agony of having to ask something so preposterous of his son as to be a spy for the clan against their own village. All just for the clan elders' thirst for more power and their unwillingness to let go of their deep seeded hatred and bitterness for the past.

"I will be a double agent for you, otou-sama."

Fugaku's head shot up from his own troubled thoughts in alarm and shock, his obsidian colored eyes locking onto ones so much like his own.

"I understand that as the head," Itachi continued before this father could protest the idea, "you will not be able to discuss anything or reveal any of this to Hokage-sama because you will be scrutinized should you ever ask for an audience with him. However, as the 'spy' in Anbu, I will be less suspicious should I ever approach Hokage-sama.I will try to work out a way for you and the clan to come to a negotiation. If the clan elders are truly disgruntled only because of the isolation they were forced into due to the Kyuubi attack, then a compromise between them would perhaps soothe their anger.

"I know for a fact that the hardest obstacle to overcome is the Konoha council of elders who disagree with the ideals Hokage-sama has for Konoha's future. I will relay information on the clan elders and their plans for the coup d'etat to Hokage-sama and set up preventative measures against any possible attacks they might make on the village. I will be your line of communication to Hokage-sama."

Fugaku studied his son in both shame and pride; shame at his own powerlessness and pride at how much his son had grown into the capable leader whom he hoped would be able to shoulder the heavy weight that was the role of clan heir. He steeled his own resolve and nodded in agreement.

"It is fortuitous for us that not all of the Uchiha agree with the clan elders' foolishness. They have been secretly meeting with me under the guise of reporting to me at the Police headquarters. I will try and gather as many supporters as possible and calculate my next move." Fugaku looked steadily at Itachi's face, studying the dull gray bags under his eyes and the deep tear trenches which drew a course down from the inner edge of his sons' eyes and alongside the bridge of his nose and cheeks. Since when did Itachi look so worn and stressed? Fugaku still remembered when Itachi would quietly laugh, stress free, open and innocent, as he ran around the backyard of their house trying to catch and observe the butterflies flitting across their flowering garden. That was before the clan elders forced his peaceful son- his nature-loving, quiet and gentle son- into the academy early. Only to make him graduate early, become a genin early, be promoted to chuunin before his peers even graduated from the academy themselves, and be enlisted into the hell that was Anbu when other children from _clans_ were still fresh genin. Fugaku had only complied because he thought this would make sure Itachi could protect himself should he or his wife became incapable of protecting him, unable to shield him from the harshness clan politics brought on. But now…

What had he done? What has he done to his beloved first son?

"Itachi."

The long haired young Anbu listened attentively at the serious tone his father was saying his name with.

"I'm proud to call you my son and heir. Whatever happens, I will always support you and love you. Do what you need to do."

Itachi's heart clenched at his father's words as it was the first time he ever heard his father say them. He will do his best to preserve the peace of this moment, despite the dark situation they were in. For his father's sake, for his mother, for his brother, little Sasuke. For this village, he will do what must be done at any cost. He nodded, determination and conviction in his eyes.

"Hai, otou-sama. I will."

 _To be continued…_

 **A/N: So sorry again for the much delayed chapter! As you can see, the story is starting to come together… I hope! There are a lot of points I need to set up before the tru action comes in, so please, please, please be patient with me! My goal is to make sure that I'm not giving too much attention to one particular character while by accidentally ignoring everyone else, so I'll try to balance the story out. Anyway,I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Unfortunately, due to some serious amount of classes and work I have to do, I will be even slower at posting the next chapter. So sorry! Fortunately, I have already jotted down what I want to happen in the next chapter so I slowly type bits and pieces as much as I can and post the next chapter when it is ready. Well, it's quite late now… stay tuned! Please review! Your comments, criticisms and ideas are only going to make this story richer and me more motivated to write faster! ; )**


	5. Chapter 5: What it Takes to Be an Ember

Chapter 5: What it Takes to Be an Ember

In the back of Sakura's mind, she always wished life was simpler, where her parents had simple jobs and loved each other without all the messy complications of their work and status spilling over into their personal lives. Where the shinobi world wasn't a necessary existence and she was just another ordinary schoolgirl, as civilian children were, to worry only about who she had a crush on, whether she remembered to finish all her homework, or where she was to go hang out with her friends after school.

But life wasn't so; the shinobi world existed and she was living in it as a student training to be one. Problem was, she couldn't remember why she decided to become a kunoichi in the first place. Did she want to be one? Did she ever have that moment when she decided that being a soldier of Konoha was what she wanted to do for the rest of her life? She couldn't recall having such an instance.

Her parents were neck deep in complex situations, in both their occupation and in the family. They didn't have a good relationship with each other nor did they plan on setting aside their stubbornness and mistrust of each other, but continued to remain in their cold war state of mind. It was no longer surprising that mother and daughter saw neither hair nor hide of the man. She hadn't seen her father since after she left the hospital those months ago. All that was left to confirm his existence was his occasional post-it note on the table in the dining room or on the fridge telling them he had work to do and couldn't be bothered to come home. Otherwise, he couldn't be reached.

And now, as she gazed at her mother's stressed back once again, the now vice-chairman buried in reports and profiles, she knew that their lives had gone past the definition of complex and into the realm of the labyrinthine and the convoluted.

"Okaa-san, you should rest a little…" Sakura finally gathered enough courage to whisper at the door of her mother's study. "May I be of any help? Would you like some tea?"

"Sakura, I don't- I can't afford to rest right now." Mebuki muttered tiredly. "There are too many things at stake here. One little misstep can not only destroy everything we have, but the result will cause heads to roll."

Sakura had only an inkling of what her mother becoming the second-in-command entailed. But her mother's harried explanation in the consequences of being placed in such a delicate position truly opened her eyes. In fact, it revealed a lot of problems and more questions than she thought it would.

Mebuki paused in the middle of her writing a document and turned to look behind her, a small grateful smile on her lips.

"I think I'll agree to a cup of tea, however. Thank you. Afterwards, come sit with me. You have much you need to learn and understand, as our successor and now, as Kasamura-san's heir apparent. At least until he returns safely…."

That last statement left them both thinking along the same lines, in regards to the whereabouts of the Kasamura clan head.

Kasamura Engi writing such a bizarre will meant he knew something was happening and that it could result in losing his life and possibly his family's.

The title of vice-chairman wasn't just for anyone, but was more an heirloom to be passed down to his own descendants, one of whom he would choose from an early age and train to be his successor. Adding to the complications of being an outsider, Mebuki was from a family who had not a single petal or leaf design to their crest but for a plain circle, which was the cause for much of the hostility they were receiving, as well as suspicion.

To put it plainly, Mebuki had unintentionally stepped on many a delicate toe without having even lifted a foot. Which begged the question of what Kasamura oji-san was hiding and what he was thinking when he wrote this baffling will.

Upon entering into the study a moment later with a tray of bite-sized onigiri, tamagoyaki and Magnolia tea, she quietly set the tray on a side table and sat down on the chair next to her mother, waiting for her instructions.

"Take the stacks next to me and sort through the documents based on bank company, type of transaction, and date of transaction from the latest to the most recent. Then divide the pile into three categories: within Konoha, outside of the village but within Fire country, and if there are such documents, any that is from outside of Fire country. While you're at it, scan for anything that tells you what the transactions are for, and highlight anything that tells me what exactly this tycoon does, what he sells or buys. Let me know if you find anything that stands out to you."

"Understood."

Another cause for concern was the suddenly powerful tycoon. What caught their attention was not exactly the money itself, but the fact that the tycoon had suddenly accumulated so much funds so quickly. In compiling all of the bank accounts opened under different names but had ultimately been traced back to the businessman, the numbers ran into several billions of ryo- all of this accumulated within just half a year. The most suspicious was the fact that many of the transactions under the pseudo names simply ran into black holes, with no trail leading to a certain person, organization or business. No matter how hard they tried to pin down a lead, it was for naught. So where did the money go to and come from?

Sakura scrunched her nose in confusion, the headache that was this mess was too much for her to think about as she tried to concentrate on reading the documents in front of her. Fortunately, she knew enough vocabulary by now to understand some bits here and there, enough to know what was important and what could be skimmed over. Her mother will have to go over her work after though.

Three and a half hours into her work and two onigiris later, she noticed something peculiar. Within the usual trading of premium fabrics and buying of random antiques, there were several instances where the purchase of weapons and plants peppered throughout the transaction history. The weapons ranged from short swords such as the kodachi, longs swords like katanas, to spears. The plants, however, she was absolutely unfamiliar with.

Looking back several documents, she noticed that though the amount of plants bought per transaction weren't much, it seemed he was purchasing the same few types of shrubs and greenery each time. That was the strange part. The tycoon seemed to be a dealer in expensive fabric and linen, while he seemed to have an obsession with collecting antiques. It may be that the weapons were part of an antique collection as well, but what in the world was he doing with a bunch of the same plants?

Feeling that this was somehow important to take note of, she highlighted the weapons transactions and the names of the plants he had bought: conium maculatum, colchicum autumnale, aconitum ferox and napellus, atropa belladonna, and artemisia absinthium. Somehow atropa belladonna sounded familiar to her…. from a class in the academy? She'll have to ask Iruka-sensei tomorrow.

Sakura yawned as she flipped another page of the pile she was organizing and sorted it onto the Fire country stack, the fastest growing stack among the three she had. Surprisingly, or unsurprisingly as her mother had hypothesized such a possibility, there was a good portion of the documents that fell under transactions occurring outside of Fire country as well. Her mother noticed the small pinkette covering her yawn for the upteenth time and checked the clock- it was half past ten at night.

"I'm sorry, Sakura, I didn't realize the time until now. You must be tired by now and we haven't even eaten dinner…" Mebuki looked upon her daughter with a bit of guilt before her face returned to a neutral expression. "Do you need to eat anything? Or would you like to go to bed after a quick bath?"

The pinkette shook her head and stood up slowly to stretch her aching neck and back from sitting for so long.

"It's fine, okaa-san, I already ate two onigiri and had some tea. I think I'll just take a quick shower and go to sleep." Sakura said quietly. "I still have to go to the academy tomorrow morning."

"... Alright. How much do you have left?"

Sakura eyed the three inch stack she had yet to finish.

"There isn't much left. I can sort them out for you after classes tomorrow." The girl hesitated slightly before gesturing to the three organized stacks of documents. "I've marked transactions that caught my attention with different colored tabs depending on what they are. "

Mebuki stared at her daughter with eyes of approval. Her daughter was doing better at this than she had expected. She nodded when she noticed the girl was waiting for her reply.

"I will look into those transactions. Good work tonight. Go get some sleep. You must never be late for anything."

"Hai, okaa-san."

Just as Sakura was about to close the door of the study on her way out, both mother and daughter heard three solid knocks on their front door. The two looked to each other in wariness, finding it odd that someone would come calling so late at night. Mebuki got up slowly and headed to the door. She stood before it, her hand lightly touching the silver-colored handle.

She turned towards Sakura quickly and whispered, "Sakura, go hide in the hall. If it turns out to be a dangerous person, I want you to go through the procedures we have trained you to do."

Sakura quivered in fear but nodded firmly at her mother.

"Hai."

Mebuki turned her attention back to the door after making sure her child had gone quickly into action and took a deep calming breath.

"Who comes calling at so late an hour?" Mebuki spoke loudly and with authority, though her body betrayed her voice, trembling in slight apprehension.

"Pardon my disruption of your rest, Haruno-san. I am Uchiha Itachi, a member of the Konoha Military Police Force. I was directed here by Kagomori-sama to gain information on a possible lead in Kasamura-san's case."

The light-haired woman's eyes widened in surprise for the second time that night, before swiftly opening the door, bowing in polite greeting and apology.

"I deeply apologize for my rudeness, Uchiha-san." She stood aside to allow Itachi to enter. "Please come in. How may I be of assistance? I'm surprised that Kagomori-sama referred me to you, as he is the one directly cooperating with your police force."

"Ah, that is still true. However, we have locked onto a trail that may connect the incident to what you are currently investigating in your association's internal affairs." Itachi sat down elegantly on a sofa at Mebuki's invitation. "It seems that Kasamura-san encountered a certain tycoon who suddenly became empowered through questionable connections…?"

Itachi let his words trail off as if it was a question, expecting Mebuki to confirm his information on the suspicious businessman. It was at this point Sakura came peaking around the corner and noticed him right away.

"Itachi-san!" She came running out in surprise and delight. "What brings you here?"

"Sakura, do not run around! Mind your manners, please! Be good and bring some tea and refreshments for our guest."

Sakura winced in embarrassment at the admonishment and nodded, turning towards the kitchen to do as told. Itachi watched the scene with a slight frown but quickly reverted back to his professional aura when Mebuki returned her attention to him.

"Yes, we are currently investigating a magnate for suspicious transactions and possible black marketing. But how does that investigation connect with Kasamura-san's disappearance? And what do you mean by questionable connections?"

"I cannot tell you much of the details at the moment because this lead needs to be confirmed and approved for disclosure. I'm sure Kagomori-sama will inform you once he is allowed to…" Itachi hesitated slightly before he continued. "Let's just say there is a high possibility that us Shinobi may have to intervene in this matter."

Mebuki paled at this information. "So it's been confirmed that ninja was involved in Kasamura-san's disappearance." The silence and Itachis solemn gaze said everything. "I'll bring you the documents. Please wait one moment." She quickly left for the study room.

Itachi allowed a small tired smile to appear on his lips and faced the hallway leading to the kitchen. "You don't have to hide in the corner you know, Sakura-chan. This is your home after all."

Sakura took a shy and unsure step out of her hiding spot behind the wall, a tray with a pot of lavender tea and cups held precariously in her hands. "Will I get to see Kasamura oji-san again? Will he be alright?"

Itachi smile turned rueful as he beckoned her over to sit beside him. He took the surprisingly heavy tray out of her hands and placed it on the coffee table before turning her to face him. His eyes held such haunting solemnity in them, too haunted for a boy who just turned thirteen.

"I cannot promise you anything, Sakura-chan. The truth is, in the shinobi world or in anything that involves shinobi, everything is an uncertainty. I will never give you false hopes and promises which may turn into lies if I cannot follow through. The only thing I can say is that I'll do my best to find them….. Alive or not, I'll try my best to bring them home."

Sakura's lips trembled at this blunt honest confession, which desperately sounded like an oath from Itachi to her ears, but nodded her understanding and quickly wiped away the stray tears escaping her eyes.

"Okay."

Itachi ruffled her hair slightly and poured some tea for her. Sakura's eyes turned contemplative and out of nowhere blurted out the first thing that came to her mind to escape the depressing thoughts. It'd also been on her mind for a while, churning this way and that in the jumble of things that had caught her attention.

"What is a fox demon?"

Itachi froze completely in place, his cup of tea a mere three inches away from his lips. He slowly turned quiet, stern eyes toward her. "Where did you hear that from?"

Sakura shrunk into herself a little at the question and started fumbling over her cup, stuttering in apprehension. "I- I heard it from-"

"Sakura, be silent. Don't be rude to our guest with childish questions that do not pertain to his visit." Mebuki walked swiftly into the living room and placed a large stack of manila folders onto the table with slightly more force than necessary. "Go prepare for bed. You have school tomorrow. Do not shame our family by being late because you couldn't wake up on time."

The pinkette flinched, hurt by the sudden harsh quality in her mother's voice.

"Hai, okaa-san, I'm sorry for disrupting. P-please excuse my leave now. Have a good night, okaa-san, Itachi-san." The girl shot out of her seat and escaped up the stairs into her room, closing her door with a firm click.

"I apologize on behalf of my daughter, Uchiha-san. She can be quite foolish sometimes."

Itachi raised a hand in a placating manner. "There was no harm done, Haruno-san. Children will always be curious of the things around them. They do hear such interesting things from adults after all…."

Mebuki narrowed her eyes at the insinuation but said nothing for fear of the Uchiha clans' possible scrutiny of their family. Her husband was never quiet about his distaste of the kyuubi incident. That distaste had recently become hatred and disgust whenever she had the rare chance of speaking with him. There was no need for her to paint a condemning sign on her and her family. She opted to let that comment slide right over her head.

"I'm sure they do, Uchiha-san. Now, these are the documents we have compiled from our side of the information system. Based on what we have found and what I looked at tonight, there have been quite a few instances where our tycoon, Akitaka Shigemi, had bought weapons: some of samurai origin and some of ninja origin. There are several other important things that have been tagged. The ones that have gained priority are the red, green, yellow. Is there anything you would like me to clarify?"

Itachi remained as stoic as he would when facing the Uchiha clan elders. Whatever was going on, Sakura's question had riled Mebuki into an extremely defensive position. He stood elegantly but lethal poise, befitting one with an Anbu status, and walked towards the foyer.

"No, that was very helpful, Haruno-san. I will contact you again should there be any developments. I apologize again for disturbing your rest. Have a good night, ma'am."

"It was my honor to be of help, Uchiha-san. After all, you have been working diligently, I'm sure." Mebuki's eyes hardened but bowed respectfully towards the Uchiha heir. "It must be hard for you, to shoulder so much at your age. Do come to me should you need anything. I will do my best to assist you. Have a good night."

Itachi nodded at her and closed the door behind him, disappearing as silently as the wispy summer night towards the Uchiha compound. All that Mebuki was left with were increasingly shaky hands as she triple locked her door.

Unbeknownst to the both of them, they pondered over the same troubling questions that night.

How much information was the other person withholding? And why?

* * *

Sakura could be seen as a pink blur the next day as she raced to the training grounds open for academy students where she knew Sasuke would be. And since Itachi picked up his otouto today, wherever Sasuke was, so was Itachi.

If someone happened on that single line of reasoning that had Sakura running so quickly, said person would have concluded that she had finally succumbed to the Uchiha-Brothers-Obsession disease, one that a majority of the female population were prone to be infected with. But mercifully, her reason for seeking them out so desperately was for more important matters. More specifically, the documents her mother had handed over last night and the information she had offered Itachi.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, because Sakura had been the one to organize those particular documents, she knew for sure that her mother had left a certain amount of information out.

She was certainly not going to oust her mother; she was the vice-chairman and certainly had more experience in these dealings than she could ever claim at the moment. But her instincts were telling her that Itachi must know about those plants she found and labeled black. There was a reason they were organized using the Haruno banking code. All documents within their bank were color coded by level of importance and priority. This helped the process of document reviewing flow easier and efficiently.

Her mother knew that.

So why did she ignore the black label, which superseded both the green _and_ the yellow, and was second only to the most important, the red?

Her mother was onto something and was hiding it from the authorities. Whatever it was, it made her mother increasingly paranoid and fearful.

Turning a right corner, she quickly entered the park she frequented after classes when she was with Ino, which served as a shortcut towards the training grounds. The image of her route clearly imprinted in her mind's eye helped her navigate smoothly through the twists and turns of the array of buildings and streets. It also helped that training with Sasuke improved her stamina and endurance.

A flash of bright yellow, grey and orange in her peripheral had her skidding to a halt. She could recognize that shade of bright yellow anywhere by now and it made her wonder what he was doing crouching behind a bush.

"Naruto-san, what are you doing over here?" She slowly walked over to the hunched back of the blond-headed pariah of the village. Said boy flinched and gave a loud sniffle while wiping at his face furiously as if to obliterate his very features off himself.

"Naruto-san, what's going on? Are you okay?"

"Just go. I don't want you to get in trouble with that blondy friend of yours, dattebayou. I'm okay."

"But-"

"I'm j-just playing hide-and-seek, dattesa."

"Sakura-chan! Is that you?! Jeez, I can seriously find you anywhere with that pink hair of yours!"

The pink-haired child whirled around to watch as her friend Ino quickly ran over to her, surprised and a little happy at this coincidental meeting. That happiness wilted however, and for some reason, a heaviness settled into her stomach like she had swallowed a boulder, when she caught sight of Ino's other friends trailing behind the blond.

"Have you seen that stupid whisker boy?" Ino huffed in an irritated manner, "He went and kicked one of my friend's shins and I'm going to make him pay for that!"

"I- uh, I-" Sakura trembled with nerves and indecision. What should she do?!

 **Then don't tell her! Obviously she is going to beat the crap out of Naruto, and her groupies are going to enjoy it! Why would you sell him out?!**

 _But- but what about Ino?! What if she finds out and hates me for hiding him from her? This is the classic 'die if you do, die if you don't' situation!_

 **Then are you going to be just like your torturers and let this happen?**

Sakura froze mid stuttering at her Inner's logic. It was true. But how will she make it so that she can prevent Ino from finding out her hiding Naruto?

"I found him, Ino-chan!"

Too late, as one of Ino's friends had run past her stationary form to scour the bushes like a vulture looking for prey. Before the pinkette could even react, the brown haired groupie found her target crouching behind the bush she had been standing in front of.

All at once, the pack ran forward, Ino looking questioningly at her before grinning.

"Seriously, Sakura-chan, stop stuttering, will you? That's what gets you bullied all the time! If you found him, then just say so!"

Ino glided past her and began a heated stare down with Naruto who, despite being obviously cowed by the ever aggressive Ino, defiantly glared back. The pig-tailed girl's groupies were not so gracious, and with their leader so utterly preoccupied, roughly shoved Sakura aside to corner Naruto as vultures would, while waiting for a dying rabbit to breath its last. Sakura fell on her backside roughly, watching helplessly as the one girl she called friend began to manhandle the poor defenseless boy.

 **What do you mean helpless?! STOP THEM!**

 _But!_

 **Am I going to have to repeat myself again? I'm supposed to be you and I feel ashamed of it. Don't you realize that they are becoming what Ino was trying to protect you from? If you don't step in and stop the abuse, then you are no different from the bullies you hated so much.**

 _I-I…._

She knew. She knew that, but it was hard to reconcile what she had learned the hard way and her desire to keep her friends. She knew by helping Naruto, she would be turning her back on Ino and 'biting the hand that fed her'.

But it wasn't like Ino's friends were nice to her in the first place. She was a bit naive but she wasn't stupid. Every time Ino had her back turned, the rest of them would pick on her. It wasn't too obvious, but it was apparent that they didn't think of her as friend material like the blond did.

It was all an act. And the more she realized this, the angrier Sakura became.

Just what was she doing with them?

Sakura stood up just as the brunette kicked Naruto in the shins, demanding that he apologize to her for kicking her earlier.

Wasn't she supposed to be injured?

Ino was standing beside the girl with a smug look on her face.

This wasn't the protective, charismatic girl Sakura looked up to. She wasn't the gentle person she befriended, the one who swept back her bangs and tide a red ribbon on her head, saying she looked pretty just the way she was.

Since when did Ino change so much?

At Naruto being smacked rather hard on the back of the head, she couldn't stand still anymore and quickly shoved the supposedly injured brunette aside to stand in front of the scratched and roughed up boy. Her body trembled in tension and fear, but she stood her ground.

"Stop! Don't you think this is too much?!"

Naruto looked up at her in surprise, tears staining his cherubic cheeks. Sakura had never stood up for him before.

Ino was looking rather annoyed and perplexed at her.

"What are you doing, Sakura-chan? We're teaching him a lesson. This is reasonable."

"Ino-chan, it's not!" Sakura shook her head furiously and looked imploring at her blond friend. "You know it's not reasonable! You're hurting him! "

The girls behind their leader sneered at the green-eyed girl. How presumptuous of the twit to think she knew better than them?! That holier-than-thou attitude of hers was getting insufferable!

"Are you saying that we're wrong to make him apologize?"

"Are you siding with him?"

"Were you _hiding_ him?"

Sakura watched as Ino's face went from shock to hurt and then accusatory as the girls fired their questions at the now isolated girl.

"Is this true, Sakura?"

Gone was the endearing address of her name, replaced by a tone so foreign on her blond friend's tongue, as if she was speaking with a potential enemy- a stranger she never knew. Sakura's heart clenched at the unfamiliar pain wriggling inside her chest.

"That's b-beside the point I-Ino-chan! What you're doing- what you're doing is n-no different from how those b-bullies treated m-me! Why would you do that?!"

"See Ino-chan?! I told you she was going to stab you in the back for all the kindness you gave her!"

The supposedly injured brunette's voice echoed whatever conclusion Ino had made inside her head, her eyes glinting with anger and hurt from the one thing she thought Sakura wouldn't do. Betrayal. She had thought better of her than that.

"Is this it? You're going to turn your back on me, embarrass me in front of the freak, and side with him?!" Ino's voice crescendoed into a shriek of anger and hate. "After all I did for you, you're going to go against me?!"

Before anyone could react, Ino's hand swiftly reached up and slapped Sakura hard across the face before snatching roughly at the red ribbon that she had gifted the pink-haired girl, the gift Sakura always tenderly cleaned and tied to her head everyday. Ino threw it onto the ground and stomped on it vehemently before glaring at Sakura.

"Fine! Be like that and go back to being that idiot, that-that stupid insecure girl you were if you want to! Go get bullied for all I care! I hate you!" Ino turned away and stomped out of the park.

"Let's go girls," the blond barked. "Forget the two morons!"

With a final intense glare at the two outcasts, the troupe followed their leader out and once again, the park was silent again. As if to mock them, a sudden strong and humid wind whipped through, the two children having to cover their faces as the gust brought up dust and stray leaves around them, and with it, the trodden ribbon.

Sakura gave a soft cry of distress as she watched, helplessly, the summer wind carry away her precious treasure into the sky, fluttering and fleeting before it all but disappeared.

It was two hours later when Itachi caught sight of the green-eyed girl. Today, however, she was anything but the vibrant and curious child he'd grown fond of; her sparkling emeralds eyes were rimmed with blotchy red, a telltale sign of a good bout of crying. Her left cheek was red and slightly swollen, with mussed up hair and her red ribbon gone. Someone had raised a hand against her.

"Itachi-san." Sakura greeted him weakly, shuffling her way into the open area where Sasuke and Itachi stood watching her with concern. Itachi stepped up towards her before Sasuke could get a sound out of his mouth.

"Otouto, why don't you continue on the kunai combination I taught you. I will be right back." Itachi suggested gently, his eyes never leaving her face.

Sasuke grumbled a little, feeling left out, but he knew when his brother was being serious. He nodded and turned once more towards the posts to continue with his exercise.

"Are you okay, Sakura-chan?"

"I-I…" Sakura shuddered at the pent up emotions she was feeling. "Am-am I a bad person? Was it wr-wrong of me to not want what I experienced to happen to others, Itachi-san?"

Itachi frowned at the questions, not exactly sure where these questions were coming from. He quickly went over what she had said and in a moment, everything became much clearer.

"Is this about Naruto?"

Sakura stiffened a little before heaving a despondent sigh and nodded. "Ino-she got really angry because I stopped her from punishing Naruto-san. I don't think we'll be friends anymore. The others said I stabbed her in the back even though she'd been really nice to me for being my friend..."

Itachi sighed inaudibly and crouched before the broken-hearted pinkette.

"Do you regret helping Naruto then?"

Sakura shook her head without hesitation. "No. They should have asked Naruto-san to apologize if he did something wrong but they didn't need to hit him. And he doesn't seem to be the mean type and definitely doesn't look like a fox demon. It was wrong of them to call him names. I didn't like being called names either…"

"The children have been calling him that? Is that where you heard it from?"

Sakura made an affirmative noise, carefully watching Itachi's reaction. "They'd said their parents warned them not to go near Naruto-san. Ino-chan heard it from them too."

Itachi's eyes darkened in anger. The adults have become too careless, too ignorant of Naruto's and his family's sacrifice. He'll have to speak to the Hokage about those loose lips. His hand ruffled the girl's hair gently, smiling comfortingly at her when she looked up into his wise obsidian eyes.

"Sakura-chan, listen closely. You should never rely solely on what you hear. There will be times when it is not the whole truth and it will be up to you to find it. You're a smart girl so I know you'll make the right decisions, when you find what you seek."

Sakura's eyes watered again, feeling relief and guilt coursing through her. She'll have to find Naruto and apologize for all the times she had not been nice or didn't help him. He'd helped her before too. Why hadn't she seen how innocent he was?!

"I'm going to apologize to Naruto-san. I'll make sure to be the best friend he could ever have, to make up for my idiocy!"

Itachi watched her eyes glint with determination and smiled. It seems like she was getting one step closer in finding her own Will of Fire- her reason for fighting. He nodded at her.

"Go."

Sakura spun around and dashed out of the park, the new goal strengthening and mending her broken heart.

And the initial reason she had in finding Itachi so urgently was completely forgotten.

* * *

When he had seen how they had treated the blond, whiskered boy, he was beyond furious. He had to constantly remind himself that they were only children who didn't know any better. Still, it pained him, tortured him to see the boy treated this way. But he couldn't approach him. As an Anbu charged with guarding the jinchuuriki from the shadows, he was forbidden to reveal himself to the boy; he was forbidden from going to his aid, to comfort him when he was downtrodden and alone. And it hurt to not do something for him.

Now as he watched Naruto sit by himself on the swing with the injuries incurred in the earlier incident, he couldn't help but be tempted to jump down really quickly, oh so secretly, to give the child some kind of knowledge that he wasn't abandoned in this world. That there was someone who loved him.

Luckily for him, before he could make any rash decisions, the pink-haired girl who defended the blond earlier, came sprinting into view. From his hidden perch up in the trees, he watched and listened as she apologized profusely, rendering the boy speechless when she sincerely asked to be his friend. The pure look of awe and hope sparkling in his beautiful ocean blue eyes told of his joy at finally having one of his dreams come true. The sudden tears and sobbing from the blond panicked the girl-child, however, and sent her flitting this way and that trying to comfort him.

As the two finally walked off, promising each other to play together tomorrow, the Anbu couldn't help but think of how much he looked like the Yondaime Hokage. From the bold yellow hair that refused to be tamed, to the cerulean eyes; everything saved for the whiskers, and his personality which he inherited from his mother, was a carbon copy of the Fourth. It was those features that made his heart ache in longing, pain and regret at what he once had and disregarded- only to lose it when he realized what treasure he had a little too late.

As he looked toward the slowly waking moon, he was once again reminded of just how much he missed the martyred Hokage.

"Minato-sensei…"

 **A/N: Annnnd that's it for now! Thank you for reading this chapter and I hope you like it! I wanted to write more but with the weather recently caused the apartment I'm living in to be flooded. Thankfully, my things took minimal damage. But cleaning was a hassle and I didn't want you all to wait too long.**

 **Also, I would like to thank the door people who wrote reviews for my story. It seriously made my day! My friend thought I was being writers when I couldn't stop smiling. Hahaha**

 **Finally, guess who has finally made an appearance?! Hahaha I'm so excited to write more about him next. Be prepared for it!**

 **Okay, I'm laughing too much. Must be the exhaustion...**

 **Please read and review! It will definitely make my day! Good night!**


	6. Chapter 6: Black Birds and Scarecrows

Chapter 6: Black Birds and Scarecrows

The heavens were splattered with an array of indigo and scarlet, fused together until it became a potent mix. Dusk was silent at the tallest tower in the village, if not for the shadow within the topmost room calling out into the darkening night.

"Come in, Weasel."

An Anbu made a swift and silent entrance through the window and knelt before his Hokage in respect; only the slight fluttering of the curtains spoke of his method of entering, the window itself having miraculously closed with nary a movement from any of the occupants.

His captain was as punctual as ever, standing beside the Sandaime's dark, oak-wood desk, hands at his sides and in rigid form. He wore his usual uniform: the dark, sleeveless, Anbu-issued shirt under a grey flak jacket, and his two tanto blades strapped to his back. The tattoo on his left shoulder that marked him as an elite was hidden under the knee-length, grey captain's cloak.

Upon the young Anbu's arrival, the captain immediately went through the series of hand signs, activating the isolation seals embedded into the office walls.

Now knowing that the room was finally secure, all three occupants relaxed their rigid muscles, which had been ready to spring into action at any possible threat. Weasel watched as his captain removed his hood and pushed the Inu mask aside, to reveal gravity defying hair of silver, yet another mask that hid his face from the nose down, and a slanted Konoha headband covering his left eye.

"Hokage-sama, Hatake-taichou."

"At ease, Itachi-kun. You're right on time as always."

Weasel, in removing his mask and hood, revealed the young face of the Uchiha heir, his shoulder-length midnight hair tied at the nape of his neck in a simple ponytail. The tear troughs etched into his face seemed deeper tonight and his eyes a deep well of controlled fatigue and quiet pain.

He stood up, the tip of the tanto sheath strapped to his back scraping softly on the worn wooden floor, and at their leader's behest, both took a seat in the provided chairs, maneuvering carefully around piles of documents, reference books and scrolls stacked precariously on the desk and on the floor around them. The floor-to-ceiling windows on the right and left of the Hokage were covered; long heavy drapes were pulled across its expanse and enveloped the room in near tangible blackness, but for the single candle flickering courageously in a far corner of a room atop a side table.

"How is Naruto-kun fairing?"

The corners of Kakashi's lips pulled up at the mention of the name, the motion only hinted at behind his mask by the slight movement of his cheeks. "It seems that he has made himself a good friend last night. I'm glad to see there are still a few young ones who are willing to look past misplaced judgments."

"Hmm…" Sarutobi Hiruzen puffed on his pipe and slowly exhaled, strands of wispy smoke filling the room. "How is this person?"

"She defended Naruto against his bullies, despite the fact that Yamanaka Ino was her friend among the crowd. I believe they are all in the academy. By and large, I don't think she will be a threat to him. Itachi can attest to this girl's trustworthiness."

Itachi nodded in confirmation. "Her name is Haruno Sakura whose mother is now the vice-chairman of the civilian banking association."

"Ah, Haruno Mebuki-san. I have heard of many a rumor surrounding her and her family. Most are not very pleasant to hear."

"It is understandable, considering the circumstances that led to her appointment as the vice-chairman, as well as head of the Kasamura clan." Itachi answered grimly. "But Sakura, at least, I can vouch for, based on my interactions with her. She is calm and has a good head on her shoulders. She will be a good influence for Naruto."

Sarutobi turned his chair to gaze at his covered windows as if to see through the thick curtains and out into the village. Past the stores, past the less savory of alleys and dark corners, and to Naruto's tiny, desolate apartment. "It's fine. I will, however, have you continue in your observations on her family and the situation they seem to be ensnared in.

"Now…, to the matters at hand. Has there been any movement in Root, Kakashi-kun?"

"No. In fact, it has been too quiet. In more ways than one, not being able to brand me with the silencing seal has prevented me from entering his inner circle." Kakashi's gaze was steely. "Sometimes, I resent the fact that I'm the last of the Hatake clan."

"It's not just because of that and you know it, Kakashi-kun." Sarutobi reminded gently. "It's also due to your history as part of Minato-kun's team and now that you are an Anbu captain, my influence over you is greater than it had been before."

Kakashi kept silent. He knew, no, they both knew that this was true. Danzo recruited him not long after the death of his team which was soon followed by the death of his teacher, who'd been like a second father to him. It was also around the time when he was initiated into the Black Ops. He most likely hoped that bringing him in during his most vulnerable time would make him easier to mold and bend to Danzo's will. Fortunately, his deceased teacher's predecessor never took his eyes off the devastated young boy and kept him anchored through his other fellow Shinobi and friends.

"He's been wanting to turn you into another of his trained, mindless puppets for years now." The Sandaime continued. "It's fortunate that your talents allowed me to promote you to captain before he considered placing that seal. Besides, should you be branded, I would still not get the information I need."

The Hokage turned his chair back to facing his subordinates. "Which is the very same reason I will be promoting you to captain as well, Itachi-kun. And before you protest, it is not only to prevent you from being leashed to Danzo, but because your record had shown you to be worthy of such promotion. Besides Kakashi-kun's approval and recommendation, your fellow teammates have also been interviewed on your performance and the results were more than satisfactory. Of course, you will be trained to learn the ropes of being a leader of your own unit, under Kakashi-kun, for about a month. This move up in rank will also temporarily pacify your elders, allow your father more political backing, and ultimately give us more time to resolve this conflict. What say you, Itachi-kun?"

Said teen sighed in resignation. When his leader lays out all his cards in front of him, just to have him see things his way, how could he say no to that kind of persuasion? Besides, this was his Hokage. The gentle,wise yet strong and experienced leader he looked up to. He knew what he was doing, obviously.

"I am your weapon, Hokage-sama. I will do as you see fit of me."

The Hokage's smile was sad and bitter. "I'll take that you are accepting this position. You will be meeting Kakashi-kun tomorrow at the Anbu headquarters to be trained. Once your training is over, you will have a team assigned to you."

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

"As for the civilian case, are there any updates?"

"I have the report written for you, Hokage-sama." Itachi pulled out a sealed scroll and handed it over. "It's been confirmed that Kasamura-san had met with a tycoon by the name of Akitaka Shigemi, who is being investigated by both Kagomori-san and Haruno-san. Based on Kasamura-san's employees, he had investigated Akitaka's background after the meeting, a month before the disappearance. It's also been confirmed that the documents in his house were not the only ones to have gone missing. Any of the documents he had obtained around Akitaka are also missing."

"We also have suspicions that even the name Akitaka Shigemi is not his actual name." Kakashi added in, handing in a report of his own. Both Itachi and the Sandaime's eyes widened. "I have actually tracked some of the places he frequents and found that he hides himself really well… if not for my sharingan. The person beneath is different each time."

The resulting silence was deafening.

Hides himself really well. Kakashi using sharingan….. Genjutsu.

Whoever this Akitaka Shigemi is, he had ninja who were genjutsu specialists at his disposal. The next questions were, who is backing him, how far and for what purpose?

"Kakashi, I want you and your team to try and trace his substitutes back to their base. Find out for me who the perpetrator really is. Itachi, it seems I will have to assign you a team faster than I would have liked. You'll be coordinating with Kakashi to learn the ropes as you go." Gone was the kind endearing ending to their names as the gentle professor transformed into the seasoned Shinobi he was famed as. "You'll continue to monitor the movements of your clan elders specifically, but you'll also be joining the surveillance rotations around the village. Someone within this village is working with or for this man and I want to have him captured as quickly as possible. Report back to me every twenty four hours or once you've met your objective, whichever comes first. This an unclassified Anbu mission. Remember you answer only to me. Is that understood?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama", came the unified response and the two Anbu captains disappeared without a sound as if they were never there.

* * *

"I'm home."

A woman appeared around the corner of the foyer hallway, her long,black hair falling over her shoulders like individual strands of silk swayed by a breeze. Her surprise melted into a gentle, motherly smile. "Ah, Itachi-kun, you're back. Welcome home. Have you eaten yet? I can have a light meal set for you before you head to bed."

"Okaa-sama. Thank you, that would be appreciated. I will take a shower first before coming to eat." Itachi greeted her with a small smile of his own. He looked around as he walked toward the stairs leading up to the more private quarters. "Where is otouto and otou-sama?"

"Well…." His mother began to wring her hands a little in worry, which didn't go unnoticed by Itachi and had immediately stiffened in alert. His mother was quick to answer. "Your father is not feeling very well right now and is resting in his room. He came back from a meeting with the clan elders not long ago. Your brother is in the back training." She smiled softly, a glint of pride and affection for both of her son's apparent. "He's been training even harder the last few days, now that he has friends he can be motivated with. He was talking about a pink-haired girl who needed a lot of help with her taijutsu.

"He grudgingly admitted that she has improved a tiny bit, though." She laughed softly in amusement. "Which, I'm sure in his language means she's made huge improvements. And he doesn't want to have her catch up that quickly… He also said he's met a loud, blond boy…. Naruto-kun, I assume." Her worried face was back, with a tinge of guilt, one that Itachi knew the reason to. After all, he was aware that Naruto-kun's mother, Kushina-san, had been a childhood friend of his own mother. "If only I could somehow make up for lost time with him. He should have been our family's responsibility- my responsibility- to take care of, in Kushina-chan's absence…"

"You know the reason why we cannot, okaa-sama." Itachi stated gently. He paused for a slight second but pushed on. "But perhaps, we might be able to approach this topic openly soon enough."

His mother looked stunned for moment, worry in her eyes at the implications he was making. But before she could question him about her hunch, Itachi swiftly kissed his mother on the cheek and left with a murmur that he would be taking his shower.

He paused at his parent's room, weary of disturbing his father's rest. His father falling ill was a rare occurrence and it was his duty to greet his father when he came home and see to his health. He quietly knocked on the door and slid opened it slowly, announcing his presence with a whisper.

His father was laying in bed with a scroll in one hand and sipping what smelled like herbal tea in another. Despite his slightly pallid features and a very thin sheen of sweat that only people as observant as Itachi could discern, Fugaku was never one to rest lying still. He always seemed to occupy himself with something that needed to be done. The pale man stopped his reading and regarded his eldest with small nod.

"Itachi, how is the investigation coming along?"

"It is progressing, otou-sama. I have been promoted to Anbu captain and assigned a team of my own. We will be working with Hatake-senpai and his team in tracking down evidence and possibly the merchant himself."

"Hn, that is good to hear." Fugaku grunted and coughed lightly, a slightly pained expression on his face.

"Are you alright, otou-sama? I heard you felt unwell after your meeting with the clan elders. Would you like for me to send for a medic?"

Fugaku shook his head slightly and sighed as he leaned back into the cushions, the scroll in his hand forgotten. "No need, your mother sent for the herbalist already. He left me with this… concoction," he looked at his cup with distaste, "for my stomach pain and dizziness. It's nothing too serious."

"I see. Please don't over exert yourself." His father snorted slightly at the gentle admonishment and Itachi relaxed his worried expression. Maybe it was just a passing cold. "I will leave you to rest then. Good night, otou-sama." Itachi gently took the emptied cup from his father's hand and left the room, bowing before closing the door.

"Good night, Itachi."

* * *

The sudden sound of a thousand shards of glass raining onto a hard surface was what woke Itachi up early the next morning, like a jolt of high powered lightning jutsu had electrified his whole body. His body was taut with his senses on alert, his hand already holding onto the tanto he always kept at the head of his bed.

"Anata!"

That first second of eerie silence after the crash had caused the hair on the back of Itachi's neck to rise. But his mother's cry of distress made him fly out of his bed, out of his room with his door sliding open violently, to leap down the second floor railing and into the kitchen in the next second. His mother was on the floor holding up his shaking -convulsing- father, a plate and bowl smashed to jagged pieces beside the table next to him. His father was visibly gasping, sweat slowly darkening his shirt and dampening his hair, and a hand clutching his head while the other was flitting from his left temple to his stomach as if his reflexes couldn't decide which agonized him more.

"Otou-sama!"

"Itachi, we have to take him to the hospital, now!" His mother cried in fear, trying to get a good grip on her husband in order to lift him up. "He just started convulsing and he's burning up!"

Itachi immediately strapped his tanto horizontally on his lower back and quickly helped pull his father up, shouldering a part of his father's weight on the left side with his mother on the right. His little brother, Sasuke, with his hair tousled and eyes wide in fright, came skidding in a split second later.

"Aniki, okaa-chan, what's wrong with tou-san?!"

"Later, otouto! Quickly go to our uncle next door and tell him to come with you to the hospital. We need to get otou-sama to the doctor."

The two of them quickly carried a still shivering and convulsing Fugaku out the door and leaped onto the rooftops in synchronized movements before the eight-year old could open his mouth to reply. But it wasn't needed, for the youngest in the family immediately took action, shooting out the door with his sandals barely strapped on properly and vaulted over the fence to run to his uncle's house, his heart palpitating in apprehension.

* * *

 _I can't believe I forgot to tell him something so important!_ Sakura berated herself thoroughly as she ran through the shortcut in the park towards the Uchiha compound. _How could I have let that slip my mind!_

In her hands were copies of documents she had previously labeled black, as well as some more recent ones from a larger stack that had come in from a new lead they had tracked, two days ago. With her mother indisposed with another meeting and so much paperwork to sort, they'd decided that she wouldn't be tagging along as usual in favor of getting some of the paper done.

That's when she found one of the missing links to the mysterious transaction blackouts and even more suspicious activities they managed to dig up. _**And it had happened within Konoha.**_

Suddenly, the puzzle started to click into place. It was still largely incomplete, but she already began to see where a part of it was going. And then she just had to remember her fatal error. The information she had planned on telling Itachi but had stupidly forgotten.

Running at full speed out of the park exit and with the compound gates in sight, she felt her loose hair flying about her and whipping her face with a vice as if in punishment for her forgotten duty. Her lungs wheezed for more oxygen, expanding and contracting painfully against a rib-cage that could only allow for so much extra room for them to do so.

But she needed to make it in time. She had to. This was the breakthrough they had needed into finally uncovering this Akitaka Shigemi's true identity and arresting him for fraud, participating in illegal dealings, as well as threatening the safety of the village by importing banned poisonous plants and weapons.

She was close to the compound when she saw a disheveled, black haired boy and an adult racing out of the gates and towards the streets away from her.

 _Isn't that Sasuke-san?_

"Sasuke-san! Wait for me! I have something urgent to hand to Itachi-san!"

* * *

"He's been poisoned." A medic-nin tapped her clipboard with her pen nervously as four Uchihas stared at her with an array of emotions ranging from fear and worry to an intense glare of impatience. Their younger, unexpected company, the pink-haired Sakura, had to wait inside the visitors room while the doctor in charge debriefed the family in the hall of the ICU wing.

"We're not sure what exactly it is yet because there is a mix of different poisons involved. It seems that it has been in his system for a while and at least one type has a signature of delayed onset of symptoms. Because of the concoction of mixed poisons, it's also causing the GI tract to bleed from the body's strain to purge itself. Right now, we're trying to lower his heart rate, blood pressure and prevent his fever from skyrocketing."

"Can we go see him? Will he be okay?" Mikoto asked with trembling lips as she gripped the hem of the apron she was still wearing for dear life.

The medic-nin fidgeted in nerves and guilt. She truly hated to be the bringer of bad news, much less to a family as powerful and intimidating as the main house of the Uchiha clan.

"We cannot allow you into the observation room right now as the doctors need to focus on keeping him alive… I'm sorry. There is a chance that he might not make it, unless we find all the components of the poison to create the antidote. But we'll try our best and will update you as soon as we can."

Mikoto looked beyond devastated and was not bothering to hide it under her usual calm and collected aura that marked her as the Uchiha matriarch.

"I'm truly sorry." The medic repeated. "We'll do the best we can to save your husband." With that she bowed low in apology and rushed to escape the agonizing atmosphere.

Their uncle quickly supported the matriarch and slowly led her back to the waiting room to sit, the anxiously waiting pinkette shooting out of her seat to meet them halfway and assist. They couldn't catch even a moment of rest, however, because as soon as Mikoto took a seat, a swirl of leaves flew in and a silver haired ninja appeared, harried and in alarm.

"Hatake-senpai! How did you know I was here?"

"Your neighbor's wife directed me here, but that's not important! A team of Anbu had been sent to arrest your clan elders and another is on their way to arrest Mikoto-sama as well! They plan on taking Fugaku-sama into custody once he's no longer in danger!"

"What?! But why?!"

The door to the waiting room banged open as a team of masked Anbu quickly strode in.

"Uchiha Mikoto-sama, you're hereby under arrest for treason, criminal accessory to the disappearance and murder of a civilian family, and staging a coup against the Hokage of Konohagakure by the order of the Honorable Council." They briskly yanked Mikoto out of her seat and forcefully lugged her across the room toward the door, cuffing her wrists with chakra suppressing seals before she could protest.

Mikoto struggled against their rough treatment and iron grip.

"Wait! What is the meaning of this?! Unhand me! I can walk on my own two feet without you dragging me like a rag doll!" She finally broke their hold on her arms and pushed their hands roughly away from her. She turned around to address the usually aloof Hatake but he had disappeared with a puff of smoke, leaving behind only a small piece of paper that Itachi had quickly snatched out of the air and hid in his kunai pouch, upon the Anbu teams arrival.

Mikoto eyes narrowed. "A kage bunshin." She muttered under her breath. The Anbu next to her seized her roughly by the arm again, jolting her from her thoughts.

"We don't have all day, Uchiha-sama." a feminine voice sneered. "The Honorable Council frowns upon lateness… or insubordination."

"And you will do well to know I rank higher than you as a former Anbu captain before I retired to marry the Uchiha clan head at age seventeen. But remember, once an Anbu, always an Anbu." Mikoto's scathing words were heavily layered in meanings, ice and authority, as she all but turned stiffly to walk out the door, displaying her elite status and upbringing with every soundless step she made.

The others watched in disbelief and anger at the display until the group disappeared from view, before they turned quickly to Itachi, who had taken the scrap of paper out to examine what was written.

 _ **Danzo**_

With one simple word, it said everything that needed to be said for Itachi and his uncle. They both shared a quick look and a nod before the older Uchiha quickly strode out of the hospital towards his destination. Itachi turned around and crouched down to level his gaze at the younger children.

"I'm sorry for dragging you into the mess you saw, Sakura. I'll take you both back home and I need you both to stay silent about what happened. Rumors spreading will only cause panic for those who know less than we do. Can you do that for me?"

The two children nodded, but before Itachi could lead them by the hand, Sakura pulled away a tiny bit, when she remembered what she had grasped in her hand.

"Ah, Itachi-san, I have some important documents to give you! I'm so sorry for forgetting last time!"

Itachi nodded to her quickly. "We'll go to my house first where you can tell me safely. Now hold my hand and don't let go. You'll feel a little disoriented."

The next thing the children knew, they were in the foyer of Itachi and Sasuke's house, stumbling on their feet as they observed the light blue walls spin lazily around them. It took them a tiny moment to reorient themselves and quickly took off their sandals to follow Itachi into his father's study and sealed the room.

Sakura quickly handed over the now wrinkled papers to the older brother, letting him scan through them. "I can't explain much to you in terms of our banking system and it will take too much time. But just know that I felt they were extremely important documents that you need to know about and I don't know why my mother withheld these from you. We tracked down a new lead that I'm sure Kagomori-sama will have notified you about once we got this reported to him. I'm basically breaking protocol in handing this to you first-"

"It's alright, Sakura. Take a deep breath and tell me what the significance of these are."

Sakura took a shaky breath and exhaled. "What I'm trying to say is that we have evidence of Akitaka Shigemi-san's involvement in fraud and endangering the village by bringing in banned poisonous plants and weapons… I also have records of him making transactions with someone from the Uchiha clan." Her body trembled at the suppressed adrenaline coursing through her veins. "I trust you, Itachi-san. That's why I'm giving you this information. Someone in your clan is keeping in touch with Akitaka-san, helping him bring these things in. Someone is buying the plants from him."

"My father was poisoned, Sakura. Do you know what that means?" Itachi breathed, mind running miles per second at the information he was hearing, reading and already knew from his investigations at the same time.

Sasuke, who had been silent throughout this time shot his brother a look. "Are you saying someone from our own clan is planning to kill tou-san?!"

Itachi returned his brothers demanding stare with a stern gaze of his own. "Sasuke." Said brother stiffened. This was the first time his older brother ever addressed him by his name. "I never wanted you to be involved in the many entrenched problems between our clan and this village. I'm not saying this because I don't trust you but because you're still young and have yet to be trained in disguising your emotions. But now I have no choice. You must never say, act, or look at anyone within our clan any differently than usual, is that clear? One wrong move will cause us more problems than we can handle." Sasuke quickly nodded. Itachi glanced at Sakura.

"Sakura on the other hand, should have at least begun that basic training with her mother for political reasons as an important member of a civilian association. And besides, they would have learned of what had been brewing for years sooner or later through their own end of the investigation. But the warning extends to you as well, Sakura. This information was supposed to be for Uchiha and Hokage's ears only.

To simplify things, the Uchiha elders as well as their supporters were planning to overthrow the Hokage. Otou-sama and I, along with those who are against this were trying to find ways to stop it from happening. From what your documents are saying, I can conclude that it is the rebellion who have been buying the materials from Akitaka-san. The question right now, is why are both the elders and otou-sama getting arrested?" Itachi began to pace the room, hands clasped behind his back militaristically. "Otou-sama has been hiding his real intentions under the pretense of siding with the elders. If the elders were the ones who found out and used otou-sama as a scapegoat, then they shouldn't have been arrested as well. There has to be more to this mess than this…."

They sat there in brooding silence, the young ones suddenly feeling as if they were entering into something far too big for them to handle or even entirely grasp. Sakura lifted her head and spoke with a quiet, stained voice. "Itachi-san, I'll go back home to continue looking into the matter. It is getting late and my mother will be expecting me. I'll hands over copies of anything else I find significant. I've already broken protocol once. Breaking it again for the sake of solving this faster won't really make a difference, I guess…."

Itachi smiled apologetically at her and nodded in thanks. "I'll hand in a list of plants from these documents to the doctors to analyze and make an antidote for otou-sama. I'll take you back home first and explain your absence as training with me and my otouto."

"Thank you, Itachi-san."

Sakura quickly prepared herself to leave as Itachi hid the papers under several layers of genjutsu. After making sure Sasuke made it their uncle's house for their aunt to watch over him, Itachi shunshined the two of them out of the compound gates and led her home by foot.

The walk was silent for the most part as they walked past the markets towards the park. It wasn't until Sakura tried to greet some of the shop owners she knew that she felt something was off. The usually mild and friendly greetings she received were somehow laced with pity and hesitancy. Some even outright ignored her with a suspicious glance her way. Sakura gripped the hand she was holding onto tighter, making the older of the two look at her in worry; he himself certainly noticed the less welcoming atmosphere.

They were almost at the end of the street near the park entrance when an older women from a small fruit store rushed out to greet her.

"Oh, Sakura-chan! Thank goodness! I was looking for you to see if you were alright! Where have you been?!"

"Hatsune oba-san! What's going on?! Why are they looking at me like that?"

"It's your mother, Sakura-chan. She's been arrested by the Konoha Military Police Force about an hour- Sakura-chan!" Sakura was already running off again, this time straight towards where her house was, before the older lady could even finish what she was saying. There was blood pounding in her ears, muffling all the sound around her, the feel of the pebbles she kicked up, the bushes scratching and scraping harshly against her skin as she pushed past them uncaring off the fact that she was damaging public space. All she could think about was making a straight route back home, where her mother was supposed to look sternly at her for being home late instead of studying and sorting documents as she was told to do.

 _This is not happening, this is not happening, THIS IS NOT HAPPENING!_

 **Hurry, Sakura! Try pumping chakra down to your legs to speed up!**

Sakura immediately did as she was told by her Inner and soon she was faster than she could have imagined. She barely noticed Itachi catching up to her when she broke out of the park area and into the civilian residential district, past the streets, past her house gate and up the front steps. She nearly tripped over herself when she saw that her front door was left wide open, giving her a full view of the mess that was inside.

Stepping through the door slowly as if willing herself to think she was in a nightmare, she froze when she spotted flecks of blood contrasting against the lush, white rug at the foyer.

"Okaa-san." Sakura breath hitched, as her knees no longer supported her and forced her to lean against the pastel yellow wall.

She couldn't believe it. Her mother had really been arrested. Now she was alone, with blood on the floor and the vase of fresh clematis flowers her mother loved and placed on the side table consistently, broken and crushed on the wooden floor.

"Okaa-san!"

 **A/N: Well, yup! Hahahaha! Another cliffhanger! I seriously hope this chapter makes sense to you! I know immediately that there will be some questions you will want to ask. It seems kind of rushed, this chapter, even to me. But there are reasons why there may be gaps in between the scenes. If I gave everything away so quickly, that wouldn't be too fun, would it? Exactly, hahaha.**

 **Anyway, despite my expectation of not being able to post a new chapter until after finals were over, as I had told one of my friends who was reading this as well, I had a sudden onslaught of plot ideas and how I wanted it to proceed. The feeling was so overwhelming, I had to write this chapter down before I went crazy and ignored all my school work. As a matter of fact, I was rebuked quite icily by my piano professor because I had only one out of three pieces memorized and ready to play for my jury exams coming up in four and a half weeks. Yeah, talk about my butt being set on fire. Sigh.**

 **So, this is it for now. Seriously. I need to concentrate on finals coming up so I REALLY won't be updating until mid May. Don't be too frightened or horrified though, since I already know exactly what I want to happen in the next two chapters or so and will be jotting down snippets of it in a document so I won't lose them to the wind. Please feel free to yell at me across the electrical plain to tell me I need to concentrate on my work. I need people to be strict with me sometimes. I might get to finish all my work ahead of time and start on chapter 7. Might. Maybe.**

 **Also, thank you so much to the reviewers who commented and gave me critic and encouragement. I know several of them are guests and I was absolutely thrilled to get notified when the comments were posted. You should have seen my stupid face when I grinned…. Yeah. Again, thank you to the following people!**

 **iloveyourstories**

 **sata**

 **AyakoChan305**

 **isolationism**

 **timeflies123**

 **FallenBleedingAngel**

 **Doujin-Maker**

 **These are some of the meanings for words and names. If I have left out any word or name, do let me know!**

 **Kagomori- Basket, forest**

 **Tsuruta- Crane field**

 **Kasamura Engi- Umbrella village, Omen**

 **Akitaka Shigemi- Bright Hawk, Bushes**

 **Anata- a word used by the wife to address her husband**

 **Annnd, that's that! Please review! As you have already guessed, your comments are my gasoline to the car, the light to the matches, the….. Yeah, you get the point. Hahahaha**

 **Till next time!**


	7. Chapter 7: The Coming of Autumn Clouds

Chapter 7: The Coming of Autumn Clouds

Sakura wanted to sink into the bed she laid on, as she pulled the covers over her head. She wanted everything to be one of those oh-so-real nightmares she experienced frequently; the kind where she ends up being swallowed by black so palpable, she could almost grasp wisps of it in her fingers and tear into it out of despair. Because in the end she can still wake up, blink away the tears of fright and know that it was just that- a dream. A nightmare that can't touch her in reality.

But this wasn't such, as much as she tried to deny it. Her mother was detained and her father was nowhere in sight. How could he? How could he not even show up to see if she was alright, to try finding out what exactly happened to her mother? She didn't know what to do anymore and she tried to will away the images of what she experienced no less than five hours ago.

The house, when she had gone back earlier, had been well and truly gutted; furniture was pushed aside and toppled over. Cabinets were emptied, drawers overturned. Nothing was left unsearched.

But it was when she and Itachi had entered the study that she couldn't hold in her tears anymore and cried, because despite knowing that the more important matter was the massive amount of documents that had disappeared from the room, all she saw was the thirty-six by thirty picture frame that held the family portrait fallen face-first like a martyred hero on the ground before the wall it had once hung on. The glass was cracked and broken, and a sharp piece had cut inward to rip through the picture and through the back.

Itachi didn't say a word as he briefly placed a gentle hand on her head and brushed his fingers through her hair slowly. He then proceeded to maneuver carefully through the disaster and gingerly picked up the picture frame to examine the damage. Unfortunately, it wasn't a clean break and the picture bore a hole through the two parents standing in a field of blossoming plum trees. Her mother was balancing Sakura on her left hip and her right hand tenderly eclipsed the tiny one of a toddler Sakura whose hand was on her mother's cheek. A part of Sakura's face and lower body in the picture were ripped too and Itachi carefully turned it around, away from Sakura's view; neither had the heart to look upon the damaged picture longer.

After Sakura watched Itachi make a clone to send to the hospital and gather any documents left over in the office to be stored in spare sealing scroll, Itachi insisted that she stay at his house for the moment as he can keep watch on both her and his brother. And so,Sakura went about with loose, numb limbs to collect several sets of clothing and toiletries to bring with her. Her head seemed to clear up a bit with moving around for she suddenly had the presence of mind to run back into the study once more and take her mother's seal and wooden plaque engraved with their family crest. It had been hidden in a false wall outlet next to an emptied bookshelf and Itachi watched with quiet fascination at how simple and inconspicuous the nook was.

Now she was tucked in, intruding upon Sasuke's room while the younger Uchiha shared with his older brother. On any other day, she would have laughed at the irony of how Sasuke's fangirls would have shrieked in the ugliest way, with horror and outrage at Sakura 'defiling' their sacred altar that was his bed. And to someone who had no romantic interest in him at all.

 **Can you imagine, the scrunched up faces they'd make? It would have been an entertaining view to laugh at within a certain distance. Wouldn't be too pleasant to be too close to those rabid, salivating animals after all.**

Sakura huffed lightly to herself at Inner's attempted, half-hearted joke. Leave it to her to try lightening the mood, even when neither of them felt nor had the energy to laugh. She couldn't sleep. Not with the possible scenarios which ran through her mind: of what would happen to her mother, Itachi and Sasuke's parents- whether their father would possibly live to even see another day. Did they find the antidote in time? Where was her own father? Was it true that Kagomori oji-san was dead- murdered? Who was Akitaka Shigemi? What was his real goal?

Sakura groaned in frustration at how sleep now completely eluded her. She slowly got out from under the light, soft, sea-blue covers, sticking out her small toes to search the floor for the guest slippers. The night air was cooler than she thought and made her second guess getting out of bed to get a cup of water from the kitchen. She had also been wary of waking the other occupants in the house, but after a moment of thought, she dismissed the idea. She doubted anyone would be getting any decent sleep tonight.

Treading down the smooth sturdy stairs, she noticed that a light was on and three distinct male voices were heard through the wide archway she remembered had led into the kitchen, one of which she recognized as Itachi's. She slowly crept toward the opening, the voices becoming clearer for her to hear the words they were saying. But before she could make sense of what the words meant, as if they sensed her, they stopped and Itachi's quiet voice floated out into the dim hallway.

"Sakura? Do you have trouble sleeping? Come in."

A little embarrassed at being caught in her attempt to eavesdrop, she shuffled her way in. There was a lamp on the family dinner table they must have moved from the living room to keep the light dim. The table itself was across from the cooking area, cozy but spacious enough not to get in the way of people maneuvering around the stove. Three people sat before the long, low table on zabutons, each with a cup of what she deduced from the wafting aroma, as jasmine tea.

The one closest to her, a man with shocking greyish-white hair, half cover features and a hitai-ate covering his left eye, turned his head in her direction and smiled. His right eye squinted from the gesture so much so that it looked like he had closed it.

"Ah, you must be Sakura-chan, right? I'm Hatake Kakashi, a colleague of Itachi's."

"I- I'm H-Haruno Sakura… Nice to meet you."

The man sitting across from Kakashi chuckled and flashed her a friendly smile and a two finger salute. "Hey, Sakura-chan, I'm Shisui. I'm an Uchiha, as you've probably guessed." He jabbed his thumb in Itachi's direction. "Itachi-chan's my little cousin."

* * *

"N-nice to meet you too."

Kakashi observed the extremely nervous girl who had shuffled into the kitchen where they'd been quietly talking. Her expression of uncertainty and shy demeanor was nothing like the girl he had first seen, when she had swept into the park and passionately declared herself a friend to Naruto, not so long ago. In front of him was a girl who was as any child would be: innocent, dependent, in need of guidance and a dash of naivety. Yet, Itachi's description of her quick and analytical mind, the one who supplied them valuable information tonight, told of a maturity and wisdom he'd only really seen in Shisui under his cheery personality, and Itachi, who didn't seem like he ever had the chance to experience childhood.

"Is everything alright, Sakura?" Itachi asked with a murmur, his concerned eyes examining her carefully.

She shook her head a little and fingered her short sleeved pajamas. "No, I… I couldn't really sleep and just decided to get a cup of water." The pinkette quietly observed him. "Were you unable to sleep too, Itachi-san?"

"Hatake-san and Shisui came over to discuss some important things regarding our state of affairs."

"Oh! I'm really sorry for intruding! I'll just get my water and go back upstairs."

Itachi stood up and walked to the hallway while Sakura drank quickly and left her cup in the sink. "I'll see you to your room, Sakura. The hallway is dark after all. I'll be right back, Hatake-senpai, Shisui nii-san."

It was not long after that Itachi came back in, his face a little more tired than it had been before. As he returned to his seat, Kakashi heard the young Uchiha teen exhale with an almost inaudible sigh. It was rare to see him look so vulnerable, as minimal as the display was. He only ever did so with people he trusted and considered important to him. Even then, it was still a rare sight.

"Was everything alright?" Shisui asked.

" I used the sharingan to help her sleep as I had done with my little brother. They both need the rest right now. Iruka-san has also allowed them a two day reprieve."

"And what of you?" Kakashi asked. There were times when people only saw Itachi as the perfect shinobi, who had full control over his emotions. An elite. A genius who completed adult tasks and difficult missions seamlessly. And they would pile even more responsibilities on his shoulders expecting him to comply without question.

He himself often forgot who Itachi essentially was, for the sake of completing a mission. But it was during times like these, when he was able to properly look at Itachi that he had to remember _he was still a young child, barely in his teenage years_.

So he made it his responsibility, as Shisui had, to watch over his well-being. To make sure Itachi didn't turn out like Kakashi had when _he_ himself was a teenager.

"Don't you need sleep as well?"

"There are more important matters to attend to." Itachi replied without a single pause or inflection.

Shisui sighed in exasperation. "If you say so." His expression turned serious quickly.

"As I had been saying, Mikoto oba-san, Fugaku oji-san, the elders and several other of our kin are to be put on trial before the Council of Elders tomorrow. Oji-san, from what I heard last, has been stabilized and regained consciousness half an hour ago. Those idiots immediately assumed that if he's well enough to wake up, then he's well enough to stand trial. Bastards."

"What of Sakura's mother?"

Kakashi frowned deeply, his jaw visibly clenching in anger. "The elders and the civilian council has deemed her immediately guilty of withholding information from authorities and assisting her husband's attempted escape. From what I heard, she is to be exiled outside of the village to the Fire temple under house arrest as a nun, or be executed. Without trial."

"Wait, what?!"Itachi and Shisui's eyes widened in shock and utter disbelief. Shisui who was usually quite articulate, stumbled over his words. "H-hold on for a second. Can you repeat that?! What do you mean assisted in her husband's attempted escape?! Ex-"

"Shisui, lower your voice!" Kakashi hissed, while Itachi gave him a warning look. "Do you want Sakura-chan and Sasuke to hear you?" The glass cup in Shisui's hand cracked and a slow stream of tea trailed lazily down its side and onto the table. He released his grip on it slowly, exhaling in controlled anger.

"Sorry." He downed the rest of the cup's still hot contents, ignoring the burn, and turned his eyes back on Kakashi. "Please explain."

The Anbu operative ran a hand down his masked face tiredly. "Root discovered the identity of Akitaka Shigemi faster than we did and captured him, who turned out to be Sakura-chan's father, Haruno Kizashi. We have ascertained through interrogation that Haruno-san had prior shinobi training… and specialized in espionage, so he's in one of the Anbu-secured holding cells at the moment. The reason why we had such a hard time tracking him was because he was right under our noses the entire time." He turned to meet each of his colleague's eyes. "From what they uncovered, he never had any hired ninja help. The men I thought he'd sent out to escape surveillance and discovery was actually himself. He used makeup to disguise himself as another man and put on a really strong henge on top of that. What I had thought to be a different person underneath the jutsu was actually him concealing himself under something not even the Sharingan can uncover."

The room was deathly silent at the revelation. Suddenly, Itachi frowned and turned sharply towards Kakashi. "This leads to even more questions, three of which are of immediate concern. First, how did Root gather all this intel so quickly and find him before us? Second, how did Haruno Kizashi know to use this method to avoid discovery from a Sharingan user? And third, how did you know about my father being poisoned so quickly when we made sure to suppress this information from anyone? None of us knew he had been poisoned until the hospital staff revealed the circumstance to us after their _thorough_ examination."

Kakashi stiffened, thoughts whirling inside his head so quickly that his propped elbow nearly slipped off the table. Shisui sucked in a sharp breath.

"Haruno has a secret shinobi background and specialized in reconnaissance. Root. Danzo." Shisui whispered slowly, trying to grasp the final picture of the whole piece. They were close, so so close!

"Danzo, the bastard!" Shisui growled.

"It seems like the roots in the shadows reach deeper than we first thought." Kakashi grimly agreed. "And they're moving faster than we feared."

* * *

The silver-haired Jounin eyed the miniature tree that was the only decoration on the office desk, as his Hokage watered it. The forest green colored drapes were pulled fully back, allowing the early morning coolness and sunshine to seep into the room before the heady late-August heat would come in during the afternoon. Izumo, the chuunin gatekeeper and office assistant, was also in the room busy filing and bringing in more trauma inducing amounts of paperwork for the esteemed Hokage to go through. A small glint flashed quickly through his hidden features before returning to his nonchalant demeanor, eyes straying back to his iconic book.

"Your bonsai plant seems to be flourishing nicely, Hokage-sama."

"Oh, you're interested in keeping a plant yourself, Kakashi-kun?"

The silver-haired man rubbed the back of his neck almost bashfully. "Well I do keep a small cactus. They're rather independent and are quite hardy."

"More like it's trying to survive valiantly when you're too lazy to remember to water the poor thing." Izumo jabbed lightly as he placed the last of his papers in one of the rare corners of the room that wasn't buried yet. "I'm glad you don't have kids of your own. Kami-sama knows you'd forget to feed them."

Kakashi mock frowned a little at that and placed a hand dramatically on his chest. "Hey now, that's a low blow. I'm not really that bad, am I?"

Izumo chose to ignore his question. "But I do have to say, cactuses could be relied on to survive in the harshest conditions, so I suppose it's a good choice of houseplant to have when being sent on missions as frequently as you do, Kakashi."

"Is that your preference, Izumo-kun?"

"Well actually,… I prefer the _nuytsia floribunda_ *. Crazy plants, they are. Can you believe that the haustoria* in their roots actually have guillotine like structures that are sharp enough to cut thin wires? Though I would never be stupid enough to plant something like that anywhere near my apartment, I definitely admire the aggression it takes to make sure it survived."

The Sandaime raised a brow interestedly. "Isn't that a parasitic plant?"

Kakashi grinned behind his mask. "Never took you for one to like such quirky plants, Izumo. Though I do personally prefer the _celastrus orbiculatus_ *. I appreciate the more subtle ones after all. They don't need any taking care of and are so deceptively fragile looking. Well, until they slowly constrict their host to death. By then, it would be too late and the host tree would just break and keel over."

Izumo scoffed and threw Kakashi's words right back at him. "Never took you for one to like such sadistic plants. Truth is, it's your overly carefree attitude rearing its head that influenced your preference because you're too busy reading smutty orange books you obsess over….. even if they're written by Jiraiya-sama." Izumo sighed, exasperated at the thought. "To think it was a Sannin who wrote it, of all people."

The Hokage leaned forward, hands clasped under his chin and with his eyes shining with fascination. "And how long does it take for this plant to grow, Kakashi-kun?"

"I actually have one in my neighborhood; seems to be an isolated case carried from a far away vector. It germinates really quickly and has grown quite sturdy in the last three to four years already. I didn't even know what the plant was until recently and took a liking to it. It fascinates yet disturbs me at how strong it's gotten. I think it's about ready to break the tree down. Pity the host is quite young too."

"I see… That is quite unfortunate. Perhaps you should thoroughly extract it away from the young tree if you feel bad for it. Well, anyhow, it seems we've gotten quite off tangent, have we?" The Hokage chuckled good-naturedly. "Quickly give me your report. You are a week late in handing it over after all, despite it being such a simple escort mission."

Kakashi nodded with a sheepish smile and proceeded.

* * *

When both Sakura and Sasuke returned to the academy, the difference between the class' reception towards the two individuals became even more drastic. The girls hovered over Sasuke crying and bemoaning the injustice he and his family were facing. Sasuke looked like he wanted to puke seeing the… unhygienic fluid flowing out of their eyes as they sobbed over his 'suffering' like his family was already dead and buried six feet under, while another type of even more unhygienic watery substance leaked out of their mouths… namely drool.

Sakura was disgusted herself, at their lack of true empathy towards a person who _was_ really going through a tough time. Not that she could afford to concentrate on his dilemma. Her own 'welcoming', when she returned, was cold and fueled with even more hatred and suspicion than she had ever experienced. And this time, Ino, who had been her steadfast protector and friend, was no longer at her side trying to buffer the pain _but adding to it, as one who proclaimed to be her enemy._

For the very first time, she truly recognized and understood the meaning behind the looks the villagers rendered to the whiskered Naruto. Like him, she now had no one to stand up for her and defend her. Even _Iruka-sensei_ hesitated to pacify the class' not so subtle sneers towards her person, often turning towards her with a contemplative look and face filled with reluctant doubt. No one, but Naruto himself, that is.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto screamed in delight when he finally had the chance to approach her during lunch break. He lunged to tackle his first and best friend into a bear hug and proceeded to twirl her around.

 **Well, 'attempted to' would be a better description of it.** Inner chuckled sarcastically without the bite.

"You're finally back! Do you know how much I missed you, 'ttebayou?! You didn't get to see the pranks I managed to pull this past week and I wasn't even caught! Not even once!" Naruto said excitedly grabbing her lightly by the shoulders. He then began to rapid-fire questions at a dazed pinkette. "Where were you this whole week, anyway? Were you hurt? Were you sick? Why'd you come with the teme anyway? Did'ya go on a secret training without tellin' me? Was he jealous I get to hog you when his smelly, icky fangirls touch him all over? Wait! Did someone bully ya? Where are they, dattebayou! I'll punch them so har-"

"Naruto-san! Hold on, you're asking too many questions at once!" Sakura exclaimed softly. Naruto seemed to wilt a little at the gentle admonishment, but the girl was quick to correct him. She returned his hug, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his shoulders with a sigh.

"I wasn't gone for a week, you silly. It's only been two days." She mumbled. "It wasn't _that_ long ago."

"But it felt like forever, 'ttebayou!" The blond boy whined morosely. "I had no one to play with and show off my bettering durin' daijusu practice."

Sakura laughed at this and looked up at him, a twinkle in her eye. Naruto relaxed when he finally saw the cheerful Sakura begin to surface again. "It's ' _improvement_ during _taijutsu_ practice', Naruto-san. You don't use 'bettering' in that kind of context. But it seems like your range of vocabulary has improved immensely during my absence!"

Naruto pouted a little at the corrections to his still flailing grammar, but it turned into a grin when he heard her compliment. "I practiced so you would see I work hard! I want to catch up to you and teme, after all!" He hugged her again, this time much more gently, making Sakura's chest ache at the tenderness that reminded her of her mother's. But it seemed like it was so long ago. "I'm so glad you're back, Sakura-chan. I really, really, really missed you. A lot."

She returned the gesture again, burying her head in the shoulder of his ever orange jumpsuit.

"Me too, Naruto-kun." She whispered emotionally, the suffix sounding right to her ears. "Me too."

Sakura spent the next half hour explaining as much as she was allowed to of her situation, to Naruto. They both sat behind a wide, hearty looking oak tree away from the prying and judgemental eyes of the children, and in the midst of it, Sasuke snuck in to escape his mob of fangirls. Her lunch, consisting of a tomato and cucumber sandwich was left half eaten in her explanations and in the end, was offered to the dark haired boy who had been watching what she would do with it like a hawk.

"It's tomatoes. It's good, healthy, life-sustaining food. I need to make sure you don't waste it by throwing it away, Sakura."

Naruto gagged and glared at him in indignation. "Tomatoes are disgusting, dattebayou! And what do you mean by life-sustaining?! They're life-taking! I still feel their evil intentions when I tried to eat them once! They were going to pull my soul away! The true life-sustainers are ramen and Sakura-chan and when I become Hokage, I will make it so that ramen will be the staple diet of all!"

The two boys proceeded to squabble over Naruto's legitimacy in his reason for being Hokage, and whether ramen should even be categorized as food; both of which scandalized and offended the blond, of course.

"So what's going to happen to both of your parents now?" Naruto asked as the trio exited the academy ground after classes.

"We're not sure…. My Aniki said my parents finished their trials and are awaiting a verdict. The others from my clan are still not done with theirs. We haven't heard anything about Sakura's mother. We don't even know where her father is."

"Oh…"

The silence was tense as they continued down the streets at a leisure pace, the air laden with questions and worries. Fortunately, Naruto's gurgling stomach broke through the heavy stillness. Sakura giggled softly at Naruto's blushing face, scratching the back of his head in mortification while his other hand rubbed his tummy as if questioning whether the sound really came from himself. Sasuke just rolled his eyes at Naruto's comical reaction and paused to turn towards the blond.

"Hurry, up, slowpoke, I want to go home to eat some tomatoes. My aniki might have left a few extra onigiri in the fridge as well." He turned around again and began walking, not waiting for Naruto to gawk at his gruff and indirect invitation to hang out at his house.

The rest of the walk back was filled with Naruto's indignant grumblings at being called a slowpoke, Sasuke pushing more of the boy's buttons and Sakura's unladylike chortling in her effort to suppress her laughter.

* * *

The moment Itachi asked 'Hatake-senpai' to escort Naruto safely back home while Shisui escorted both her and Sasuke out the door in the direction of the Council's courtroom, Sakura felt apprehension run through her whole being. Her back muscles tensed, constricting upon itself till it ached and her hands clenched in cold sweat. She knew. They were going to be told of their parents' fate. They were finally going to be told what will happen to them and it wasn't going to be good. Not by the solemn and pained look coming from the snowy-haired man and the closed off expression from Itachi.

Sasuke, himself, was shivering not from the coolness of the evening, but from the overdrive of emotions and fear he felt for his parents. The journey back out onto the streets of Konoha couldn't have felt more treacherous than climbing a cliff-face without chakra and safety ropes.

When they made it through the door of the council room, her eyes immediately honed in on her mother's back profile, the unkempt shirt and slumped shoulders standing out to her amongst the other occupants. It was the same back she always saw in the kitchen every morning when she was younger, making her favorite breakfast as her father sat at the table reading either a document or a newspaper. It was the same back upon which she carried Sakura, her mother's hair tickling her face in the spring breeze during an afternoon stroll on their way to visit her late uncle. It was also that back she gazed upon when her mother walked ahead of her, strict and unyielding in the presence of a client, and filled with stern, disapproving gazes when she made the tiniest mistakes; the same one she witnessed baring all the scrutiny of the bank association members as they sneered at her and her family. Yet despite all those times, never once had she ever witnessed her mother look so resigned and _lost_ , the pain her mother divulged with just those bony shoulder blades and spinal column said almost everything Sakura didn't want to hear or remember.

And _her father wasn't there._

Itachi and Sasuke's parents also stood before the council, facing away from them, and she didn't need to imagine what was flitting through the minds of her companions.

"After much deliberation, based on witness accounts, investigation and evidence, the council has come to a final decision in the outcome of the trials for Uchiha Fugaku, Uchiha Mikoto, the Uchiha clan elders as well as others in the party of the accused." A grey-haired, wrinkled old woman announced in a wisened, old voice that still rang clear in the spacious room. "Uchiha Fugaku, you are thereby sentenced to execution for treason, participating in and leading the formation of a coup, threatening the wellbeing of both the Hokage and Konohagakure no Sato, and for criminal accessory in the disappearance and murder of civilian Kasamura Engi and his family. Uchiha Mikoto you are thereby sentenced to exile to the Fire Temple for participating in treason, assisting in the formation of the coup, endangering the wellbeing of the Hokage and Konohagakure no Sato, and for criminal accessory in the disappearance and murder of civilian Kasamura Engi and his family. You will remain under house arrest under twenty-four hour Anbu surveillance until Uchiha Itachi comes of legal age of eighteen and becomes clan head before your sentence is to be put into effect.

"Uchiha clan elders, you are thereby sentenced to execution for treason, participating in and leading the formation of a coup, threatening the wellbeing of both the Hokage and Konohagakure no Sato, buying banned and illegal weapons and poisons, abducting and murdering civilian Kasamura Engi and his family, and attempted poisoning of Uchiha Fugaku through use of aforementioned illegal substances."

One of the Uchiha elders looked ready to protest at hearing the last accusation but the Councilwoman cut him off. "Silence! All verdicts are law the moment it was determined and can neither be revoked nor altered. Any words from your mouth will be pointless, scoundrel. You have aimed to deal harm against Konohagakure and her people and yet you've been graced with fair trial. Humble yourself, reflect and submit to your punishment as you should."

She continued to recite the verdicts on the scroll held before her for the rest of the Uchiha group, but Sakura had frozen, the words of the elders' verdict ringing in her ears. ' _... abducting and murdering civilian Kasamura Engi and his family…..', '... abducting and murdering civilian Kasamura Engi and his family…'_ They'd killed Kasamura oji-san and took away his life, his family's life. Her fingers twitched, the numbness from its tips spreading like poisonous wildfire throughout her body until she had to lean against the wall behind her to support her weakened knees. A hand to her shoulder brought her back to reality just in time to hear the Councilwoman read her mother's verdict. Shisui, who had been the one to place a steadying hand on her shoulder glanced at her worriedly and squeezed encouragingly to anchor her into the present.

"Haruno Mebuki, you are thereby sentenced to exile for treason, withholding information from authorities, and helping in the attempted escape of criminal Akitaka Shigemi, who is also known as Haruno Kizashi. Your daughter, Haruno Sakura is to be put into the custody of the Civilian Banking Association head, Kagomori Hyōmaru, until she comes of legal age of eighteen, when she will become head of the civilian clans Kasamura and Haruno, and accept her place as vice chairman of the aforementioned association, as is written in the will of Kasamura Engi. Be grateful, that his last will has spared your child from being stripped of her very citizenship and clearance to become a shinobi.

"As for Haruno Kizashi, he is not present in this courtroom due to his attempted escape from prison. He is on lockdown and has been put under to prevent any more mishaps. He is to be sentenced to execution for illegal activities in trading banned poisonous plants and weapons, treason, threatening the safety of the Hokage and Konohagakure no Sato, criminal accessory to the disappearance and murder of civilian Kasamura Engi and his family, withholding information from authorities, and identity fraud.

"Finally, Uchiha Itachi, you will be put on probation with twenty-four hour Anbu surveillance for six months as a precaution. However, because of your contribution to the investigation for the Kasamura Engi case, as well as being an agent for the Hokage, you will be exempt from prosecution and investigation. See to it that you repay Konohagakure for her lenience upon you."

Itachi closed his eyes in quiet pain and shame. He turned his head away to look vacantly at the wall behind his father, his eyes brimming with sorrow.

"All verdicts have been spoken, documented and therefore, made law. It can not be repealed or altered. Let this show to you that we will not tolerate treason and anarchy, and should that be attempted, will be dealt with _swiftly_. Everything is as written and what is written will be put into immediate effect at sunrise tomorrow. This session is now dismissed." The grey-haired woman bound the scroll, placing it on a tray on the side of the table without another word and left with the rest of the Council of Elders.

Sasuke trembled at the final edict he heard for his parents, disbelief dawning on his features. Itachi reached out a hand to offer his little brother some comfort but the younger Uchiha flinched and shied away.

"You were an agent? You knew what was happening all this time?! Was it you who reported tou-san and okaa-chan so they could be arrested?! Why did this happen?!"

"Otouto, don't make a scene," Itachi murmured, having winced when his beloved younger brother backed away from him in suspicion and anger. "You know I would never betray Otou-sama's tru-"

"I don't want to hear you right now! Because now… now, I won't ever see tou-san anymore, and soon, I won't ever see okaa-chan again, even though I know she's alive… I won't be allowed to see her. I won't ever see either of them again!" Sasuke shouted, tears running down his face. He turned abruptly and ran out of the courtroom. Itachi made to follow after him, but Shisui held out his hand, his eyes filled with grief.

"Cousin, I'll watch out for him. He just needs time to calm down from the emotions running through him right now. It would be better for us to explain things to him when he has a clearer mind." He smiled weakly. "You need a breather too. Don't worry. I'll make sure he's safe." With that, he too, left to chase down the second heir of the Uchiha clan.

Itachi sighed, eyes lingering in the direction Sasuke ran off to before he turned towards the pinkette, who was still frozen in her spot. "Sakura?"

"My otou-san…" She gulped and licked her suddenly dry lips. "My otou-san …. was Akitaka Shigemi? He was in all of this? He helped cause all of this? Why? Was that also why he was almost never home? Why he never… never spoke to me anymore? Was it because- was it because he- he never loved me or okaa-san?" Sakura couldn't hold it and began to sob miserably, trying to control her tears but failing. "Now he's going to d-die and leave u-us and okaa-san's going to h-have to l-leave me t-too?!"

Itachi flinched in pain and regret that she had to deal with all of this. That from now on, she really had no family to go home to, to grieve with and be supported. He slowly knelt down in front of her and gently brought her to himself, holding onto her as he stood up again and exchanged glances with the only other person left with them, one who had come in at the end of the closing session.

"Hatake-senpai…"

"Don't worry, I'll take care of the paperwork for you. Also… the one I wrote of …. He has summoned you to go see him later on today. Hokage-sama asks for you to see him as well."

Itachi nodded numbly and whispered a sincere thanks. He turned to head out the door slowly, with a Sakura still crying wretchedly on his shoulders.

"Let's go home, Sakura. I'm here for you."

* * *

"Danzo-sama…" Itachi murmured, head bowed with his face schooled into an expressionless mask only through sheer will and restraint. "You summoned me?"

"I did. As you have seen," the side of his lips tugged upward slightly before it returned to his grave expression as he observed the young preteen before him, "I have come through with my end of this bargain by sparing your mother and your dear little brother from death by association. I have even spared you your career as a shinobi, which would have been stripped from you merely by association and parentage. Now, you will come through with your end of the bargain by being the one to execute the criminals. I just wanted to remind you, that should you not complete your end…."

Itachi's jaw flexed slightly before he reigned in his emotions again. "Hai, Danzo-sama. I thank you for sparing my family. I will keep to my end of the arrangement."

"Good. I will be watching. Dismissed."

Itachi bowed quickly and shunshined away, anger and resentment suppressed only to his eyes.

* * *

The night was quiet with only the faint chirping of the late crickets coming in from the tiny, barred window. It was the only luxury Fugaku had in his cell as he sat uncomfortably on the hard, unforgiving surface they called a bed, his hands chained with chakra suppressing seals. The stars were bright tonight and for some reason, despite knowing his fate, he felt at peace with himself. Whatever happened from now on, he knew his eldest will take care of his youngest one and the clan. He still had many questions in regards to the whole affair: his poisoning, the arrests, the civilians. But if he had thought of those questions, so would Itachi.

Yes, he was at peace. He knew his son will do right by him. He had faith that his son will figure everything out.

His attention returned from his internal thoughts when he heard soft footsteps coming toward his cell and immediately recognized the presence to be that of Itachi. He was holding a single candle, soft and gently flickering from the breeze blowing in.

Itachi's face was contorted in sorrow and grief and for once, Fugaku just suddenly felt regret. Regret that the one time Itachi finally expressed his emotions openly again, it was pain that he had caused. He wished that he could see his son smile for him as openly as he once did as a pure, innocent child, before everything just suddenly went wrong. But he couldn't ask that of his son. It was his punishment for doing wrong towards his children, towards his wife. He could only be grateful that somehow, his son made sure his beloved wife would not meet the same fate as he. Itachi will continue to protect them in his stead from now on.

"Otou-sama… I-" Itachi whispered brokenly, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

He knelt in front of his cell and in placing down the candle, performed the dogeza until his head touched the cold, harsh floor. His hair fell in rivulets over his shoulders as he stayed in this position without moving an inch. The meaning of Itachi's apology sunk into Fugaku and he smiled despondently. So that was how his wife and children were spared. After all, only active Anbu guards on rotation and the executioner were allowed access to these cells.

"My son, I understand, so please, don't torture yourself and sit up. You've done what you needed to do and I'm proud of you. You've done well. Let me see your face before this life of mine ends. Let me remember you."

"Hai, otou-sama." Itachi forced out as he sat up and held his father's eyes.

"Protect the clan in my stead, Itachi. Watch over your mother and little brother. And protect and love this village as I have. It is now your duty. Do you understand me?"

"I- I will otou-sama. I will do my best. And I will get to the bottom of this." Itachi whispered fiercely. "I will clear your name, okaa-sama's name."

"Good, good…." Fugaku hesitated briefly, deciding on whether to request this of his son or not. But realization flickered across his features and a soft glow illuminated his entire expression. This was his last night with his son and he didn't want any regrets before he left.

"Itachi, would you… would you call me tou-san again, just like you used to?"

Itachi, for the first time in a very long time, felt his lips quiver as tears pushed past the dam of his will and glided down his cheeks. He cried with nary a sound as he accompanied his father for the last time that night.

"Hai… tou-san."

 **A/N: Okay…. I almost cried writing this last scene… Let me get myself together for a moment….. Okay, I teared up. Nevermind. And I'm sorry if I've left you depressed and I realize this chapter as a whole, is disheartening and bleak, but I felt this was, in a way, necessary. This moment is very important to the development of this story, especially since I felt there was a need for closure and a different perspective on the relationship between Itachi and his father. So please don't kill me.**

 **And I'm sorry that there is a still bit more to come, but I assure you, things will look up from there… maybe… But that's how life is right?! Can't escape the fact that there will always be sorrow at some point in life, especially that of shinobi, so please don't abandon me!**

 **I wrote this chapter with the speed of light in order to get this out as an apology for never posting consistently. Hopefully, now that the semester is close to over, I can change that. Or at least until Fall semester starts.**

 **The following is the definition of some names plants and plant physiology mentioned in the story:**

 **nuytsia floribunda-** a type of parasitic plant found in Western Australia. It's also called the Christmas tree by locals there because they tend to flower during December and they have really vivid orange, yellow flowers. It's also true that their roots have projections that looks acts like a blade. When it grows near places where there may be wiring under ground, there have been instances where the haustoria have snapped thin wires. It's absolutely fascinating.

 **haustoria-** slender projection from the root of a parasitic plant, such as a dodder, or from the hyphae of a parasitic fungus, enabling the parasite to penetrate the tissues of its host and absorb nutrients from it.

 **Celastrus orbiculatus-** another type of parasitic plant. A lot of people tend to use these vines for decorations and such. It is also commonly known as Oriental Bittersweet and are quite invasive. Most states in America have banned this type of plant from being planted.

 **Kizashi-** Signs, omens, indication, harbinger.

 **Kagomori Hyōmaru** \- Basket forest, Leopard circle

 **So I found myself with a little extra time since I finished all my presentations and papers early; the only thing I have left is to perform at a choir recital and piano jury exams. And this concludes chapter seven of When the Four Seasons Meet (WFSM for short). I will diligently type up the next chapter and post it as soon as I can! Please read and review! I will greatly appreciate it! Wish me luck on my last performances for the semester!**

 **And of course, the disclaimer is obviously the fact that I don't own any of Kishimoto-sensei's characters except for my OC's.**

 **Until next time...**


	8. Author's Note

**Hey guys! I'm back! So I have finally survived my long week finals in hell and have come back victorious! I will be diligent and post Chapter 8 soon! I'm sorry for making you guys wait so long! In the mean time please read and review my story. Also I am currently looking for a beta reader, and am available as a beta reader for anyone interested in having me edit their stories.**

 **For those still going through the pains of finals in college, or the last leg of their school year as high schoolers and below, keep fighting! You're almost there! And as for those, who work, it is now the end of a day, so please relax and enjoy your evening! Friday is almost here!**

 **See you all soon!**

 **With much thanks and sincerity,**

 **Hitori15**


	9. Chapter 8: Reaching for the Light

**A/N: Updated chapter! Oh man, I noticed so many typos and plot errors! If there's one thing I learned from this chapter, it's to never try finishing a chapter in the wee hours of the morning. I can't read straight and expect myself to proofread** _ **anything**_ **properly…. And thanks for pointing out the silly line with the extra 'Sakura's', catchthecat! I was so embarrassed at this typo when I was editing…. I had a good laugh at the weirdness and how silly the sentence sounded.**

 **Aaaaannnnd disclaimer! I do not own any of Kishimoto-sensei's characters though again, I wished I did…. Enjoy the update and the next chapter!**

Chapter 8: Reaching for the Light

Dawn stole quietly in the next morning like a thief silently slinks into a house. The land of Konohagakure no Sato was robed in a splash of early morning mist in the dimness of the waking sun, dew condensing on the surfaces of lush greens and colorful foliage within the village's forests, foretelling of a sweltering day to come. Yet, this soothing scenery was betrayed by a deathly silence, the absence of sound. Where the morning once rightfully belonged to the symphonic song of rising birds, a solemn, foreboding atmosphere stole the voice of nature, soon to be buried with those whose fate was to meet their own maker.

It was on such a morning as this that many members of the village gathered at the southern gates, close to the Valley of the End; so close that the two gargantuan statues of the village's historic leaders could be spotted from the shoulders up. The procession surrounded an expansive clearing, watching as masked shinobi went about setting up the center for the impending executions with a mixture of confusion, suspicion and disgust.

Such proceedings were rare in their village, usually reserved for infamous enemies who, for example, may have wiped out an entire village or two. Public executions of one of their own, whether for treason or defection, were rarer still. Even more questionable was the time and the need to 'set up' in the first place.

For many older villagers who still remembered the tales of their forefathers experiencing the strict, almost totalitarian rule of life before the inception of their village, executions were done simply and cleanly. Even then, prisoners were given the small dignity of a private death, kneeling on a freshly woven straw mat before their executioner, without being put on display like dog. Their deaths were quick and quiet, their bodies rolled up in the mats to be burned on a small pyre.

But this- this set up was a show; as if the killing of people before shinobi and civilians alike was to be made a sick entertainment, extravagant in the construction of a stage where the actual proceedings were to take place, and an area where both the Hokage and his council were seated not far from the stage.

Off to the side of the clearing, a small band of young shinobi and children watched the proceedings bleakly from as close of a distance as possible, while restrained members of their family were led out. Two of the members were led away from the group, one of whom was pushed into a carriage on standby with seals placed all over its surface and Anbu surrounding it with hawk eyes. The other was led to stand at the base of the stage and forced on her knees. The rest of the group was led up onto the completed platform, where another Anbu stood rigidly, sheathed tanto clenched in the shinobi's left hand.

×8×8×8×8×8×8×8×

Sakura's palms were clammy with sweat. During the entire trek to the clearing, she'd been debating with herself. Whereas a part of her had no desire to witness the executions taking place, another part of her told her to stay, feeling the need to be Sasuke's support and the urge to see her mother one last time was strong, before rivers, mountains and law separated them for the rest of their lives.

On another hand, she had keenly felt Itachi's absence. Though she couldn't say she was knowledgeable in reading people, she was sure Itachi wasn't the type of person who would be absent from something as important as this, if only to comfort and be there for his little brother.

Sakura turned towards Kakashi, who stood to her left, wanting to inquire of Itachi's whereabouts but quickly halted herself when she found him glaring heatedly in a certain direction. He was grinding his teeth with eyes reflecting the pits of burning hell. She grew increasingly wary when his eyes narrowed at some dark thoughts crossing his mind, his hand twitching towards his weapons pouch as if itching to plunge a kunai into someone's chest.

Following the trajectory of his gaze, she froze in bewilderment when she found herself looking at the profiles of the Council of Elders, Hokage-sama and Adviser Shimura.

Each of them were wearing their formal attire. The elders and adviser were in their light gray haori with the insignia of their respective status sown onto the shoulders. The Hokage was wearing his full kage regalia, from the wide brimmed hat with the kanji for fire emblazoned at the front, to the half-sleeved white robe billowing in the slightly humid breeze, his title as the Sandaime stitched on the back.

Which one of the three could possibly be on the receiving end of Kakashi-san's wrath?

The sound of an aged bullhorn resonated across the field and all fell silent as Sakura watched Advisor Shimura raise a three fingered gesture towards the Anbu on the platform. The masked shinobi tensed before getting into action.

Slowly, as if the world was suddenly put in slow motion, the sword was pulled from its sheath, eliciting a high-pitched whining, a testimony to the sword's lethal sharpness. He had raised the sword above the first prisoner's head, Fugaku, when a trembling cry of plea broke through the stifling quiet.

"Please! P-please reconsider, Hokage-sama!"

Frenzied murmuring started up again and the crowd quickly parted way to distance themselves from the dissenter, revealing a shaking young child who was gasping for breath. The boy clutched at the hem of his shirt in agitation.

"Hiromichi! What are you doing here?!"

An older woman rushed out from the crowd and rushed to kneel in front of the boy to whisper fiercely.

"What are you doing?!" She repeated nervously, "I told you to remain at home and care for your ailing father! Let's go. This is no place for young children. I'm deeply sorry, Hokage-sama, but he's a foolish child who doesn't know what he's saying. Please forgive him!"

She quickly reached out to grab Hiromichi arm's as she made to stand but he nimbly evaded her attempt and hurried forward a little more, determination beginning to fill his eyes, though it did nothing to quell his trembling.

"Please, Hokage-sama! Uchiha-... Fugaku-sama c-couldn't possibly have wanted to harm the village! He'd saved my sister- taught me the Will of Fire, even though everyone else thought I was just a mere civilian. But because of him, I decided to dedicate my life to to this village and become a shinobi like him. If he wanted to harm the village, harm Hokage-sama, why would he do those things, even help me register at the academy and tell me to look up to you and the previous Hokages as examples of true strength? Please, there must be-"

"-a misunderstanding?" Danzo interrupted, an intimidating look spreading across his face as his eyes looked down on the quaking boy.

Hiromichi tightened his fists at his sides, trying not to give into the desire to flee and hide.

"Are you questioning the authenticity and thoroughness of our investigations? _Questioning_ our authority? "

"No! I-I mean-"

"Then whatever do you _mean_ , boy?"

The Sandaime raised his hand and Danzo backed off with narrowed eyes.

"Child," the Hokage said quietly, "I'm happy that you have found in yourself the courage to speak and the dedication to put yourself onto the path of a shinobi. However, as both the Council of Elders and Advisor Shimura have assured me of their detailed investigation, as well as presented me with the evidence and witnesses showing Uchiha Fugaku's guilt, then this is the punishment, as is written in law."

"But Hokage-sama, it just doesn't make sense..." Hiromichi pleaded, despairing.

Advisor Shimura ignored the boy and looked to the platform again.

"Proceed-"

A loud explosion rocked the ground, making every head turn in the direction of the blast.

"The village!" Someone cried in alarm, and in a span of a second, everyone was running in all directions, some trying to head back to their homes in the village towns while others seemed directionless.

The Hokage began heading towards the source of the explosions, prepared to give orders for nearby shinobi to lead the panicking civilians to safety when a volley of kunai sped towards him from seemingly nowhere. There were double explosive tags attached on each kunai: one wrapped around the handle while another fluttered in the wind where they were tied around the ring.

His eyes narrowed and in seconds, made his decision. His hands flew through a series of hand signs with veteran speed.

"Water release: Water Binding!"

Ropes of water sprang up from beneath the ground with enough force to knock the kunais off course while instantaneously enveloping the tags and effectively destroyed the seal ink, preventing them from activating.

A shift in the air behind him immediately had him whirling around to deflect a blow going for his head. His attacker, a wiry youth hidden behind a plain white mask, crouched low in preparation to spring forward in the offensive.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's face turned calculative, even as sadness, anger and despair warred within him.

 _So it seems Kakashi-kun's intel was accurate. Oh Danzo… So this is the length you would go to in order to achieve your ambitions, even at the expense of Konoha's lifeblood. But Danzo, I'll make you see…, I'll make you see how mistaken you are in thinking that a village can only be ruled by nothing but fear._

The two proceeded to fly at each other, their parries of tanto against a katana causing sparks to fly.

×8×8×8×8×8×8×8×

Everything had spiraled into chaos so quickly that even the Copy-nin Kakashi was caught slightly off guard. Just slightly.

He quickly took action, grabbing Sasuke by the collar as Shisui did the same to Sakura, just when the mass of bodies pushing and shoving nearly crushed the two younger ones. They were barely holding onto them, what with the screaming civilians quite literally attempting to climb over each other in the midst of the explosions, the showers of the kunai and shuriken whistling around them adding to the turmoil.

Sakura screamed, hyperventilating when several projectiles landed with a heavy thud and embedded itself hilt deep into the ground mere centimeters from her toes. The Anbu operative quickly searched for the Hokage's chakra and found him engaging ten other blank-masked shinobi.

The Sandaime was no longer in his ceremonial robes but in that of a warrior, silent and dangerous. Black and blood-red fused together in his attire: a layer of black mesh under a long-sleeved shirt dyed a deep carmine color. Black, scaled shoulder plates redolent of legendary warriors of the past tied in place, and a pair of black shinobi pants tucked securely into standard issued sandals. There was an impressive katana in his hands, the wielder's face grim and equally steely.

He immediately realized his leader's situation and who was directing the attack.

"Shisui, aid Hokage-sama until his guards make it there. Then quickly help the other shinobi guide the civilians to safety and dispatch any enemies along the way."

Said teenager gave a single quick nod and used the shunshin he was famous for to arrive at the Hokage's side, immediately taking out an unsuspecting Root member with a sharingan induced genjutsu.

Kakashi then turned to a Chunin he recognized and brought his two temporary charges over to him.

"Take these two as well and get them to a safe house."

Sasuke and Sakura's eyes widened, mouths open and ready to protest but Kakashi held up his hand.

"You'll just be sitting ducks for those with ill intentions to kill you easily if you remain here. You're academy students and are to follow your superiors' orders, is that clear?"

"But my parents are out there!" Sasuke shouted angrily. "They're just as vulnerable ! I _know_ they're innocent! They'd never plot against the village like they accused them of doing! You know that too! Are they going to just die a dog's death because no one cares to find the truth?!"

"My mother's in danger too! She's in the warded carriage and is a civilian! She can't hope to defend herself! Please help her, please!" Sakura cried, gripping Kakashi's arm like her life depended on it.

The young man's heart clenched painfully but he stomped down on it.

"Listen, I know you're scared for your parents but I don't have the time to try convincing you both in trusting me and go. I'm going in the platform's direction and I'll do my best to get them out of the line of fire. But _you. Need. To. Go._ Chunin-san, take them away from here. If they struggle or try to sneak away, I give you permission to knock them out."

"Hai, senpai!" The Chunin nodded and proceeded to hull the still protesting children away to another group of Chunin and civilians as they headed to a designated emergency shelter.

Kakashi turned to check for Itachi's location, finding him battling it out with three other masked shinobi. For him to have a hard time taking them out quickly meant a certain level of skill on the enemies' part.

He stumbled for a second on his way to Itachi's aid.

Fugaku lay prone on the floor, an earthen spear protruding out of his back. Haruno Kizashi was nowhere to be seen and the other prisoners were huddled into a pathetic, sniveling group, scrambling to keep a distance away from the fierce fight. A few elders were dead, killed from being in the crossfire.

He sped even faster towards the platform, readying a blinding electric jutsu.

"Lightning release: Heaven's Judgement!"

Large lightning arrows whizzed through the air. The enemy dodged backwards easily, halting their advance towards Itachi. But the arrows glanced their clothing and detected body heat, activating their secondary purpose. They burst apart and wrapped itself around the unprepared, masked assassins, the electricity temporarily paralyzing them. Itachi took this chance and attacked with a classic Uchiha clan fire jutsu, finishing them off.

"Otou-sama!"

Itachi quickly crouched in front of his father, fear palpable in his body posture. Kakashi landed next to him and immediately took a kunai to Fugaku's shirt to better assess the wound.

He sucked in a sharp breath. It was _not_ good.

"We need to staunch the blood flow."

He half murmured to himself and to the boy, all the while reaching out to a dead body and ripping off the clothing. He ignored the shouts of indignant anger from the other survivors on the platform and used the cloth to wrap around the still bleeding injury, staunching it while keeping the weapon from moving and creating a bigger hole in Fugaku's back.

The spear was from a jutsu and was aimed very close to his heart- just under his right collarbone, probably shattering his clavicle, the scapula, and the first and second rib; that may also explain why his right arm was entirely dislocated.

This wasn't a result of an injury that happened from a miscalculated weapon in a battle. Someone wanted to make sure Fugaku died.

Hopefully, the jutsu didn't also damage the aorta, the major artery that carries blood to the rest of the body. Without it in functional order, the organs and brain will shut down from the lack of nutrients and oxygen.

Kakashi quickly used Chidori as a blade and cut the spear as short as possible to stabilize the wound and prevent it from jarring.

"Itachi, take him out of here, along with Mikoto-sama."

He then jumped below the platform and cut the chakra inhibitors off the frazzled woman's arms. She had been lucky enough to be able to flit between support beams and hide in their shadows, avoiding attacks. She wasn't completely uninjured, however, with scrapes on her body and an oozing gash across her collar bones and right thigh. She quickly thanked him and took off with Itachi, Fugaku on his back.

Another explosion and a scream alerted Kakashi, his eyes honing in on the far side of the clearing, across the field. A carriage was catching fire, the sealing wards curling black and powerless against the burning heat of a jutsu.

Sakura's mother.

 _No! No! NO!_ His mind shouted.

She was going to be burned alive, her screams of agony and fear heard well above the shouts and parried metal of skirmishes.

Kakashi went through seals for a water jutsu on instinct with sweat beading down his neck, the dragon flying with unprecedented speed and splashing against the intense flames. It took another water dragon before the fire was put out, but out of his peripheral vision, he caught an Uchiha making seals for a fire jutsu aimed at the partially blackened carriage.

He made to hurry, once again using his depleting chakra for lightning arrows to shoot the man down.

Mebuki was crawling on her stomach out of the smoking remains of her confinement, sobbing and heaving for air in excruciating pain at the second and third degree burns littering her body. A shadow fell near her above the canopies of nearby trees.

"Sakura... Sakura…" Mebuki wheezed brokenly. "My child… I-I'm so- so sorry."

Arrows gleaming with wet tips cut downwards aiming for her head and heart.

Kakashi's own heart was about to burst in panic.

 _Oh gods!_ Kakashi tried to run faster, pumping more chakra into his aching feet. _I won't make it in time! Damn it, I can't use anymore lightning arrows!\_

Blood splattered and the Anbu captain's eyes widened in shock. Kizashi lay with his body shielding Mebuki's protectively, face crumpled in pain. Blood poured from his mouth as he shuddered from the effects the coated arrow tips and it took all he could to bend down gently, whispering something Kakashi couldn't hear into Mebuki's ears.

Kakashi finally managed to reach the trees, dispatching another traitorous Uchiha faster than ever and with an extra lethal Chidori, decapitating the head. He immediately landed on the forest floor and raced to the couple's side.

Kizashi's eyes were vacant with his face frozen in eternal agony. His body still curled guardedly over Mebuki, while she herself had passed out from the pain, chest heaving short, stilted breaths.

Kakashi cursed violently.

He rolled Kizashi over after ripping out the poisoned arrows; two had struck true, at the heart and left lung.

The snow-haired man used another water jutsu to gently cool the woman's burns as much as possible before gingerly picking her up to deliver to the hospital, praying that she'd hold on and survive.

If not for herself, then at least, for Sakura's sake.

 **A/N: Sorry, this chapter took longer than expected and so short a chapter too! I'd been having a momentary writer's block and it wasn't until I opened my journal again to write random things in it and filter out my thoughts that I got things in relative order. But thank you so much for waiting so patiently for me to post this up!**

 **I was attending a piano festival happening at my school and got a scholarship to cover the event fee. In return, I was to help out in getting everything organized and set up. As a result, I was up from six in the morning to work until ten at night. But it was fun, despite doing this for two days straight. Hahaha. And now I'm typing this up until five in the morning. Thank goodness I don't have work today.**

 **Thank you once again to those who wrote such encouraging reviews during this time! Specifically:**

 **AyakoChan305 (she wrote me a second review! )- Thank you for writing another review and for waiting patiently for this delayed chapter! Sakura was brought up exposed to the inner workings of her mother's profession. I guess it's the civilian equivalent of Itachi's upbringing. He was, after all, trained to be a shinobi from the crib. Hahaha**

 **AngelicRiver**

 **xFlawedyBiiPoo**

 **Guest (Sa)- Hahaha Thank you for your understanding about my finals! I guess I'm a bit of a sadist? I like to get a good laugh when I end chapters in cliffhangers. Sorry!**

 **I'm glad you love the Sakura-Itachi dynamics! I really want to use this in later chapters and I felt building this early in the story sets things up for a bigger plot I plan on making.**

 **CrzyAsians**

 **Teyona- Thank you for your encouragement in regards to my exams! I did really well and it's all thanks to you all who gave me the cheers!**

 **Chibigemini**

 **Anbu-chan- Thank you so much for your review! I'm glad the Fugaku turned out the way I had hoped for him to be! I hope you liked this chapter as well!**

 **imaginesakura (another person who wrote me two reviews! So happy )- I haven't decided on what to do with Danzo yet, but I don't think he's going to be killed off that easily for now. I'm hoping to spin out something by using him for something else….. Sounds confusing but I think it will become clearer as the story goes on. I hope you like this story enough to stick around!**

 **RamenKnight- I was thinking the same thing as well, about the abuse of power distribution that was going on in canon. Hahaha. It really leaves the characters being portrayed as beings who had their power handed to them in the end, what with Naruto and Sasuke with their heritage and subsequent 'reincarnation' of Indra and Asura. I really had to roll my eyes when Kishimoto-sensei wrote that. Like really?**

 **I think otou-sama is a respectful way of saying father but also depends on context too. It can be that the child respects the parent very much or a way for distancing himself from the father. It's one step short of chichi-ue. Tou-san is the standard address, I think and 'pops' would be oyaji?**

 **Without your encouragement, I wouldn't have made it this far, even when the chapters are in the single digits. I have started on the ninth chapter. I'm praying I won't have writer's block this time. Please continue to support me!**

 **Also, I'm still looking for a beta reader, as well as offering my own beta reading services to those interested!**

 **Finally, please read and review! And please don't mind any spelling or grammatical mistakes. I was so tired and I wanted to get this out to you guys as soon as I finished typing it and reached a place with wifi. Let me know if you spot something suspiciously like a misspelled word or confusing sentence and let me know! I will be doing a secondary sweep of this chapter within the week and updating this after. Thank you again! Till next time!**

 **Adieu,**

 **Hitori15**


	10. Chapter 9: Stasis

**A/N: Just so you all know, I have updated Chapter 8 as well! Enjoy, readers!**

Chapter 9: Stasis

The fighting ended several hours later.

Kakashi was left sitting in the hallway floor of the intensive care unit, half his body smothered in bandages and anti-inflammatory cream. He wasn't severely injured per say, which was why he wasn't being pestered by the hospital staff to stay in a bed, as nurses and even civilian doctors were called to tend to the more grievous of injuries. Not like he could anyway, since there was no room left available in the hospital.

Many were injured and many more still, were being brought in. Chunin and the occasional Genin were assigned to clean the battle zones alongside the Anbu, who were to scour the fields for remaining survivors to send to the hospital or capture any escaping enemies for interrogation both within the village towns and the forest.

And he had failed, once again, to protect those he considered his important people. Failed to save them. Failed to keep them alive and unharmed.

Failed. Because he didn't have the strength to do so.

Why is it that everyone he loved and cared for, always ended up with their lives cut short?

"Hatake-senpai."

Kakashi turned his aching neck muscles to examine the young masked Anbu standing before him.

"Hokage-sama has summoned you to his office."

"Hm."

The Anbu paused as if wanting to say something. But realizing that saying anything at that moment was pointless, nodded in acknowledgement and left with a quiet pop of a teleportation jutsu.

The Sandaime wasn't faring any better, Kakashi noted as he stood at attention not three minutes later, observing the haggard and bone-deep weariness that was etched onto the village leader's face. Deep gray bags were forming like lead weights under his eyes from the fight, the work and the reports coming in for him to sign, in the aftermath, like the battle and casualties were just regular logistics, numbers on paper, and-

And yet, knowing what it cost them in human lives stopping this incident demanded, as payment to the shinigami. People he spoke with, guided, laughed and cried with- gone. Knowing exactly who were behind it didn't really help either and relief for the Hokage will not be coming for him any time soon.

"Kakashi."

Again, the absence of his usual attached suffix of endearment.

"Hokage-sama." He quickly knelt on one knee as was dictated by his Anbu status.

Even he knew when to be on-time and be serious.

"Report."

And so, he told of what happened during the initial skirmish, the death of Haruno Kizashi as he protected Mebuki, and the fights he was forced to deal with while carrying the severely burned woman towards the hospital, further draining his low chakra with the use of the Sharingan. The scene he was forced to watch with his Sharingan still out upon his return to the battle, looking on helplessly when Shisui was severely injured by four Root members who trapped him in a corner, isolating him from any possible backup. Looked on helplessly because his Sharingan had then decided to cause a white hot pain to shoot through his skull from his lack of chakra, even as he struggled to defend against his own enemies.

Surviving because he was lucky enough to avoid being stabbed through the liver and instead, earned a long laceration from mid-torso to his hip, consequently blacking out from mild blood loss, poisoning and chakra exhaustion. Waking up in a hospital bed partially healed because the medics couldn't afford to waste any more chakra healing wounds he could survive from; being kicked out of his room, actually, because there were other patients who needed it more. End up sitting on the floor in the intensive care wing, wanting to check on Sakura's mother, but not having the guts to face Sakura herself, as she would no doubt be trying to find out about her mother's condition.

"I see…" Old Sarutobi heaved a deep sigh and steepled his fingers on the desk in front of him, obscuring the bottom half of his face when he leaned forward.

"I'm not surprised that the hospital is in dire straits from the massive influx of injured needing treatment….. If only Tsunade-chan was here…"

By the time he mentioned Senju Tsunade, a world-class med-nin and the Sandaime's very own wayward student, the Hokage looked pained enough to border on agony. But he schooled his features, taking in deep, silent breaths to calm his tumultuous emotions. And Kakashi waited patiently till his leader opened his eyes again, distant and detached.

"I will honestly tell you this now, Kakashi. Itachi and Shisui are missing."

There it was. The affirmation of the knowledge that he had indeed failed the people he cared for. His body trembled.

"I've had Anbu search for the two of them with both Inuzuka trackers and Aburame's most promising sensors. Even now, they are doing so on my command while looking for other survivors. Yet, they have come up with nothing." The Hokage let another sigh escape his lungs.

"All they found were two areas of blood matching their scent and chakra residue, which speaks of the heavy injuries they sustained. From there, their trail ran cold, with only the trace of a jutsu left behind that the Aburame determined as a mass teleportation jutsu."

Of course. As talented as Itachi and Shisui were, they were still just young preteens isolated by Danzo's personally trained puppets with no emotions preventing them from rendering the two this close from dying. Except for Danzo's command.

"So they'll be considered MIA if they're not found in the next week, aren't they?" Kakashi concluded.

"Yes."

"And their names will be carved onto the KIA monument by next month, to be written off as dead like the rest of the people I considered dear to me."

"Hatake Kakashi, you may be a genius in your own right, but even geniuses are humans and humans are limited." The older man's voice was heavy and stern. "For all that shinobis train to fight beyond the capabilities of civilians even in their wildest dreams, we can never be gods, so you can't hope to save every single person.

"I may sound harsh now, but this is the reality we live in. Don't fault yourself for something you had no control over."

Kakashi's face was pained but he opted to remain silent.

The Hokage could only sigh and trudge on to the next issue on his agenda. One can only do so much if the recipient wasn't willing to see reason.

"There is another thing you need to know."

The Anbu captain looked up with a blank face.

"You will be taken off the Anbu roster and re-established as a Jounin. You are going to be assigned a Genin team and you will be their sensei, to train and to guide them. To help them grow into the shinobi needed as the future of this village." He held up a hand to halt any angry protests. "The next batch of academy students will graduate in October. Iruka-kun will notify you of your assigned team a week before the graduation ceremony so you will have time to observe them. But Naruto-kun is definitely going to be placed on your team, regardless of whether he passes the academy exam on time or not; his spot on your team is assured."

The young man shook his head furiously, taking an unsteady step backwards.

"Take it back. Please…. Don't- don't make me do this." He took in a shuddering breath. "I can't do this, Hokage-sama. Just let me stay in Anbu. I'll- I'll work harder, get stronger so this doesn't happen again. I promise. Just…. No more. Not sensei's son…. I'll do anythi-"

"I'm not doing this to punish you for what happened to Shisui and Itachi-kun, Kakashi-kun. I'm doing this for your own good. You may not understand why I'm pushing you out of Anbu right this moment, but I hope you will someday."

Sarutobi looked gently into his eye, a well of empathetic sadness and endearment reaching out to the suddenly lost looking youth.

"Don't push others away because you fear losing them. Instead, cherish the relationships you forge on your life journey _because_ every moment with them is precious. Life is but a fleeting gust of wind blowing upon the leaves of the great trees, so hold onto them while they last." He smiled sadly. "You may not know it, but you need little Naruto-kun just as much as he'll be needing you. You two share a connection even before he was born.

"It's time you come out of the shadows and meet him face to face in the light, child. For now, take this time to rest."

Kakashi only clenched his fists before he made the single seal for his Shunshin and disappear in a swirl of leaves, blatantly ignoring the fact that his leader hadn't even dismissed him yet. But Sarutobi let it slide, knowing the internal battle he was waging inside himself at the moment. Kakashi's personal fight was not over yet and the wizened man could only have faith that the White Fang's son would make it out on the other side alive.

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Naruto paced back and forth frantically in front of the academy gates, pausing every so often to peer past the entrance before continuing.

He was just a hair's breadth short of getting into trouble for being late again, as was wont to happen the past two weeks since the academy reopened again, after the scary explosion that happened so close to where he lived. He knew there were many people who weren't as lucky as he was, since he watched the top of a residential complex a couple of blocks away from his apartment disappear with a loud, belly-shaking groan, followed by a tremble so strong that bits of dust and paint chips fell from his bedroom ceiling.

Now, he was temporarily living with Iruka-sensei while his own apartment building was being check for safety hazards.

He'd gone back to school, wanting to immediately find Sakura and the teme to exchange information on what was going on. They _were_ smart and liked to keep track of the happenings in the village.

But to his surprise, they didn't show up. Nor did they the next day. And the next and the day after that, till a whole two weeks passed by. He was going to write it off as their parents making them stay at home longer or that they were simply skipping class, but he soon realized that was stupid. Their parents weren't at home because of the trials, right? Without his two best friends there, he had no way of tracking what was happening to Sasuke and Sakura's parents because the stupid adults were so hush hush about it. Shikamaru, one of a few number of guys who treated him nicely, wasn't much help either, even when threatened with his mother being told that he was sleeping in class. Besides, the two were too serious about school to even consider playing hooky. And without him too!

Then he started fearing that something may have happened to them. What if they were near the explosion, or inside the crippled building?! What if they got injured and he didn't even know?!

Suffice to say, that was how he ended up with this routine of pacing around the school gates like a madman, not caring if he got in trouble or not.

To hell with that! He always got into trouble for one thing if not another anyway. Who's going to notice if he added one more to that list? And it was for good reason too.

"Naruto-kun, what are you doing out here? You're going to be late for the first class and get into trouble."

Scratch that. Someone did notice after all. Wait, that voice belonged to-

"Sakura-chan! You're back!" Naruto whirled around at neck-breaking speeds to grab the pinkette in a fierce hug. "Where were you?! I was scared shi- uh, pantless when you didn't show up for school for _two whole weeks_! And don't tell me I didn't count the days correctly! I did, so I _know_ you weren't here for two weeks and I was worried sick about you two and- where's Sasuke-teme?"

Naruto looked around his friend trying to spot the Uchiha boy, but failed to see him. "Where's Itachi-nii too? He usually accomp'nies you two here."

Sakura's face turned grim, and for the first time since seeing her again, Naruto picked up the tell-tale signs of fatigue and crying, from the bloodshot, swollen eyes she sported and the extra pallor of her skin.

"Whoa! What's the matter with you, 'ttebayou! Were you crying?! What happened?! Where's the teme, seriously?! How could he leave you alone like this?!"

"Naruto-kun… I don't think now is the right time to talk of it…" She swallowed thickly and tried to smile for him. "Perhaps after school? I- I just want to- I don't want to think about it right now. I'm sorry…"

The blond boy scrutinized her for a moment, and with a surprising moment of maturity, he gave her serious nod and hugged her again comfortingly before leading her into the academy with a protective arm around her shoulders.

If tensions were rising between their classmates and Sakura the first time around, then the frigid air directed at his dear friend was good enough to form icicles on the ceilings this time. He didn't even need to debate with himself before deciding to sit in the back with the ever lazy Shikamaru, who was surprisingly very awake, not wanting Sakura to deal with the death glares she would feel at her back if she sat at the front like usual.

Shikamaru sat up slowly and nodded at Sakura and Naruto in greeting, though his back was still slouched like it was too hard to straighten up his spine and with his hands in his pockets. Neither of them said anything to the girl sitting between them but Naruto could tell Sakura was looking better, feeling comforted by their presence.

Sasuke never showed up that day.

"Attention, kids! Class may be ending soon but that doesn't mean you can go do whatever you want here!" Iruka-sensei shouted as he rapped his knuckles on the desk loudly, and the students finally quieted down to listen. "There's going to be a graduation exam soon."

"What does that have to do with us, Iruka-sensei?" A boy sitting near the classroom door interrupted while picking disgustingly at his ears. "We're only second years, right?"

Iruka threw an extra blackboard eraser at the kid, his aim true as it hit his head with a loud thud. The class laughed hysterically, earning a glare from the boy but he shut his mouth when he got one of his own directed at him by the sensei.

"If you'd let me finish, Sasaki-kun. Yes, usually graduation exams are reserved for the sixth year students; the fifth years too, if they're lucky. But Hokage-sama has decided to make an exception this semester because he wants to see what level you guys are at and how effective our school's curriculum is. He is giving all academy students from the second year onward, a chance to test out of the academy and form Genin teams for more on-field experience.

"Be happy you get this chance! The only other people to have graduated early from the academy, if not earlier, were Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi. Are we clear?"

The class murmured their acknowledgement and Iruka-sensei smiled.

"Now, the test will consist of performing the Henge no Jutsu, Kawarimi no Jutsu and the Bunshin no Jutsu in terms of chakra manipulation and jutsu application part of the exam. You guys learned those a month ago, so let this be a test to see how hard you've been practicing besides at school. There will also be a written portion and Taijutsu demonstration. Any questions?... No? Then the test will be held three days from now. Dismissed!"

"Hey, Ugly Traitor, are your parents in jail yet? Hey, Ugly, I'm talking to you!"

Sakura studiously ignored the taunts directed towards her as soon as the children stepped past the academy gates. Naruto wasn't about to let the comments slide though.

"What did you say, you bastard?! How dare you call Sakura-chan that, dattebayou! You want to have my fists redec'rating your face, 'ttebayou?!"

"Shut your face, you damn fox!" The boy shouted behind them and Sakura jolted; he sounded a lot closer than she would have liked. And that reference to a fox again….

In a matter of seconds, a hand clamped down with unforgiving hardness on her shoulder to forcefully turn her around and face him. The action elicited an angry snarl from her companion and next thing the three children and any onlookers knew, the boy was flat on his back sporting a red welt on his cheek and a bloody nose.

The other children screamed as they backed up in fear of the stories they always heard from their parents; that Naruto was a demon fox boy and to get on his bad side may have violent repercussions. They hadn't really believed it before since he never retaliated from their bullying him. But now, it seemed that violence was manifesting for _Sakura's_ sake. _Not_ good.

"Don't you _dare_ touch Sakura-chan! Nobody picks on her while I'm here without going through _me_!" The blond growled threateningly.

The fallen charcoal-haired boy trembled but his growing anger gave him the boost to shout back. "I don't care! If it weren't for her stupid parents, _my_ uncle and dad would still be _alive,_ instead of crushed under a building! The mess that happened two weeks ago was all her family's fault; the explosions, the fight that happened- everything!" His voice crescendoed until he all but screamed, "I wish you and your family were dead already!"

There was a moment of deafening silence. Not a person dared to move, too shocked by the statements that were practically flung at Sakura's face. Said child looked like she'd been slapped in the face rather hard while Naruto could only look flabbergasted; still enraged, yes, but the rant was lost on him. Just what was the stupid bastard even talking about?!

"Alright, enough of that. You brats have no idea how to control your emotions and the stupid words that flow out of your mouths, huh?"

Everyone flinched at the presence of a tall, muscular man suddenly standing behind the Haruno girl and the whiskered boy. Both nearly jumped a foot high as they turned around to better look at the man who dwarfed them with just his shadow.

The man was intimidating to look at, with scars on his face and a black, full-length trench coat making him look like a serial killer from horror movies. He also wore a forehead protector like a bandanna, covering the top of his head.

"Scat, you runts."

The command immediately compelled the children to scramble down the streets screaming, like they had been freed from a paralysis jutsu. All but the boy, whose face was beginning to blacken from the bruise forming on his cheek with a trail of dried blood still present. He looked like he wanted to flee as well but couldn't, whimpering when the scar-faced man's eyes all but pierced him through with a single glare.

"Except you, punk. You're going to bring me to your parent's place to have a real, nice…. talk."

The boy's legs involuntarily moved to make him stand up and walk over to the man. It was then that the children finally noticed another man behind the muscular one, someone who almost looked like a carbon copy of a certain lazy classmate of theirs. Well… more like Shikamaru was a carbon copy of the man.

The scarred one grabbed the beaten boy roughly by the arm and the boy's shadow shifted before something separated itself from it and returned to the Shikamaru copy.

"I'll take it from here, Shikaku-san. Would you please escort these children home?"

The Shikamaru look alike- Shikaku- nodded and herded the two children closer to him with a hand, ready to do as suggested.

"Dad."

Shikaku turned to find his son staring intently at him and sighed, muttering something that Naruto thought sounded like 'troublesome'.

"Come along then, Shikamaru."

The boy genius nodded and quickly lost the intense demeanor, falling back to his ever present sleepy attitude. He shuffled over with his hands shoved into his pockets.

"Is something going on that would require the esteemed Nara clan head to escort my charge home?"

Said clan head heaved another sigh, though he made sure it was as quiet as possible before he looked up and bowed slightly at a figure walking down the street towards them, a small entourage of people trailing behind the man.

"Kagomori-san, good afternoon. Sakura-chan is not in trouble…. Rather, it is for her own safety since some of the villagers hold less than...favorable views towards her and her family… As you know."

"I see. It just so happens that I came from a meeting with Hokage-sama moments ago and am on the way home. Please, come with us and join me for some tea." Kagomori turned around and walked back onto another main street his group had been perusing before they spotted them. He didn't even wait for Shikaku's reply.

"Why is this getting more and more troublesome…" The clan head muttered, but made to follow with the children trailing beside him.

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Walking through those heavy oak-wood doors everyday, leaving and coming back, was still so surreal to Sakura, even two weeks after the fact. To call the place she now lived in home- she couldn't make sense of it as reality. It was as if something in her lost connection, was detached from her body and she just couldn't find the glue or tape or whatever, to put it back together. Every night as she went to bed, she would be reminded that the futon she slept under was _not hers,_ the room she was using was _not hers_ , and the house she stayed was _not_ the one she lived in with her parents.

Her parents. The unspeakable pain she felt lodged in her chest when she woke up every morning for the past two weeks, thinking that it was all a dream, only to realize that no, she was really in it, this reality; her parents were no longer there. And the treachery. Their treachery.

She could no longer call herself a Haruno; the civilian council had deemed the name to be a disgrace to their village and was to be erased. As she was now under the guardianship of Kagomori-sama, she would be taking his name until she became the Kasamura clan head, merging the former Haruno clan into the other. The Haruno clan would cease to exist from that point on.

For now, she was Kagomori Sakura, a child under the watch of both the Civilian Bank Association and the civilian council not for protection. No, it would never be for protection because they didn't trust her- never will. It was because they knew she was old enough to understand, and feel hatred and rage, to potentially want revenge for the horrid state her parents ended up in and for the stripping of her own name.

Even when she entered the house today, a place she was supposed to feel welcomed in, with Kagomori-sama ahead of her, and her classmates and Nara Shikaku-san at her back, she knew she would never be able to make such an emotional attachment to this place.

A maid had led their guests into a tea room while she automatically went straight to her room to change into a white and royal blue-patterned kimono; simple enough to be worn at 'home' but proper enough to greet guests in. This was a habit Kagomori-sama made sure was drilled thoroughly inside the pinkette's skull. The shocked looks on both Shikamaru and Naruto's faces when they saw her brought a small, amused smile to her face though and with her guardian's permission, had led them to a sitting room down the hall while the adults had their own discussion.

Now, the three sat silently in each other's company, Sakura staring into her cup of lukewarm green tea and not knowing how to even begin the conversation she'd promised Naruto. And Shikamaru being here…

"So why did you decide to follow us, Shikamaru-san?" If someone could just start the damn conversation already and just get it over with. The two shifting around uncomfortably in front of her was making her irritated.

Did they think she was some kind of fragile glass doll? She looked down at her attire and sighed. _Okay, maybe I_ _do_ _kind of look like one right now…_

Shikamaru shrugged with a small frown. "I would just like to confirm a few of my suspicions about what had happened…" He turned to Naruto with a slight scowl. "And to make sure this dork finally got to know what's been going on with you so he doesn't cause a riot during class because you and the Uchiha weren't there to leash him to his seat."

The lazy genius sagged with a sigh, scratching the back of his head. "Well, he _was_ really worried about you two. Ah… so troublesome."

Naruto looked nervously between the two before looking at Sakura with worried eyes. "Sakura-chan, you don't have to talk about it if you don't wan-"

"My father is dead and I have been stripped of my family name because the civilian council said it brings shame to society with it's existence."

Naruto gulped at Sakura's sudden, detached interruption. Shikamaru frowned deeply at the information and cringed when he saw the pain Sakura was trying to hide under a facade of indifference.

"What-," Naruto licked his suddenly dry lips, "what about your mum?"

"She's… she's in the hospital, in the intensive care unit." She glanced at the two sitting across from her with a blank face before looking back down into her cup of tea, trying to immerse herself in the green color and not think too deeply at the information she was sharing. She'd cried enough about it already.

It was times like these that she appreciated that somehow, wearing a kimono really relaxed her- gave her this foreign calmness. She just hoped Naruto wouldn't break the composure she was holding onto so tightly.

"My house is going to be on lock-down while I live under Kagomori-sama's roof. I am to be trained as the next head of the Kasamura clan and when I come of age, I will be taking on their name and leadership. My- the Haruno clan will be merged with the Kasamura and cease to exist."

"But that's unfair! Why do they have to punish you for stuff your _dad_ did?! That's your name! They don't have the right to take away someone's _name_!"

"Naruto, this is how a civilian's society works. I may have decided to train to be a kunoichi, but I also have the other foot in the world of civilians. I can never be fully one or the other."

"I'm curious." Shikamaru stepped in. "What happened with you and the Uchiha during the chaos? I understand that the both of you may have needed to go through questioning for your connection to the executions," Naruto nearly wrenched his neck to look at Shikamaru in shock and bewilderment as he hadn't heard that there were execution going that day,

"and that you had people to visit at the hospital for the last two weeks. But obviously something else happened during that time frame. Sasuke isn't the type of person to go missing class for such a long time without proper reason. The fact that he didn't come back with you today says much as well."

It was here that Sakura hesitated, unknowingly dropping the mask of indifference for a face of confusion. "I'm not exactly sure, actually. We were… we were being taken by the Chunins to a safe house… and… but we didn't make it. I couldn't tell who was on our side and who was the enemy, but we were attacked… there was so much chaos and the Chunin were trying to fend them off and look for backup. Sasuke-kun and I ended up trying to keep the civilians together and continue on the general direction our guards were taking us.

"And yet, we didn't make it. I- I… there was an explosion…" Sakura shuddered and wrapped her arms around herself, a pounding headache beginning to make its presence known. "I don't really remember what happened after that. I think… Sasuke-kun and I may have been separated afterwards? Everything is really blurry for me and for some reason, even Ino-cha-, Ino's father, Inoichi-san, couldn't access my memories. That's why I was kept under watch at the hospital and by Morino-san and and your father, Shikamaru-san. They needed to make sure I didn't have what they called a sleeper-agent jutsu inside my head or long term memory suppression due to trauma. I may have information on who else was involved that they need to complete their investigations.

"As for Sasuke-kun… I haven't seen him at all for the past two weeks."

There was another bout of heavy silence where the only thing they heard was the slight wind coming from the air-conditioner in the room.

A knock interrupted the silence and the three looked up to find a maid sliding the door open and bow where she knelt.

"Kagomori-sama would you to come back to the tea room for some light snacks. I apologize for not being able to provide them for you here, Sakura-sama."

Naruto looked at Sakura in bewilderment while Shikamaru kept a sleepy expression on his face as Sakura held up a hand in reassurance. Her back was ramrod straight and she was suddenly sitting extremely formally, her expression blank as a white paper.

"No need, Fuyuko-san. We will be on our way. You may leave."

Fuyuko bowed slightly again, stood up and left without another word.

"That- that was weird, Sakura-chan. Does everyone here speak like that to you? I already feel like biting off my nails from nerves. Can't they be less stiff?" Naruto squirmed and stood to leave the room.

Shikamaru snorted while Sakura giggled quietly behind a kimono sleeve, another action that had Naruto looking at her weirdly. "And this is what I will have to live with until I come of age. Be glad that you won't have to, Naruto-kun. Even then… I will have to live surrounded by the Kasamura family. Luckily, I know them a bit more then the people here. I am on friendly terms with some of Kasamura oji-san's relatives…" Sakura winced a little. "Though I don't know how they'll be acting towards me now."

Naruto threw an arm around her shoulders comfortingly. "Hey! You still have me, dattebayou! If they pick on you, they'll get it from me!"

"You mean I can sic you on them, Naruto-kun?"

"Hey!" Naruto mock pouted indignantly while she smirked, laughing quietly for the first time in a long while. Naruto relaxed at the expression and grinned.

"Okay! Time for some grub! I'm _huuungry_! Do you think they'll have ramen?"

Shikamaru could only sigh in exasperation, but smirked all the same as they headed back down the hall towards the adults. "Is that all you think about in your brain, dork? So troublesome…"

 **A/N: I'm actually surprised at how fast I got all this down from my head to paper…. I hope you guys liked that this chapter ended on a lighter note! There are still a lot of things to be laid out though!**

 **And finally! We are pretty much at the beginning of the canon series finally! As you may have also noticed, the ages of each character are actually different from the canon timeline. Though of course, we know that canon!Naruto had tried to graduate several times (three times, to be exact) despite his young age (he entered the academy early), he never did quite pass till Sakura and Sasuke's year was allowed to try for it. WFSM!Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke are going to be graduating early. As for their actual age, it will be revealed later- Kakashi-kun, Itachi and Shisui-kun included. And don't worry! Look out for the two missing preteen's return! For now, I'm going to focus on developing and introducing characters into the story.**

 **Soooo, thanks again for reading and I hope you review as well!**

 **Special thanks, once again to AngelicRiver, catchthecat, and imaginesakura.**

 **Also, just in case some of you get confused by my tired typing and typos from last chapter (which I went back and fixed) about Kakashi-kun's status, he was still an Anbu captain as of chapter 8.**

 **Thank you all again and see you next time!**

 **Adieu et avec d'adoration,**

 **Hitori15**

 **P.S.: I'm not French by the way, so I may get some spelling wrong in my greetings. Hahahahahaha….. Yeah**


	11. Chapter 10: Beginning of the Beginning

**Disclaimer: I haven't done this in a while, but again, it's really unfortunate that Kishimoto-sensei's work doesn't belong to me or some of the worthy fanfic writers here. Because if it were mine, the whole entire Kaguya, Sage of six paths, and Naruto and Sasuke being reincarnations of Indra and Asuma would have been shot to hell, much less the other rather stupendous things that rendered his once amazing work full of holes…. I can only say that he wasted his time trolling people instead of making his story as amazing as it could have been. Not that I'm implying that I'm a master at proficient writing, but you know what I mean. Okay, enough Kishimoto-sensei bashing. Here's the next chapter!**

Chapter 10: The Beginning of the Beginning

Kakashi entered the hospital room silently, pausing only when he met the eyes of a med-nin changing the IV drip for the prone figure lying on the bed. The nurse quietly brought a finger to her lips and pointed to another, much smaller figure next to the bed in one of those unforgiving chairs, sleeping with her arms folded under her head as support. One of her hands clasped tightly onto the larger one before her.

"She's been coming almost everyday to visit her mother, the poor child." The nurse whispered and shook her head pityingly. "She always looks so tired, so I let her sleep, even after visiting hours. Oh! And she told me to give you a letter if you ever came in to see her mother."

"How is Haruno-san?"

The med-nin frowned sadly and looked to the unconscious woman. Swathed in bandages as she was, Mebuki was hardly recognizable and whatever part of her face the medics had left exposed was pale white, bordering on ashen. Almost her entire left leg, as well as her right leg from the knee down, was set in a cast and an endotracheal tube had been taped to her mouth for security and inserted down her throat so that air could be circulated in her lungs. Her heartbeat was agonizingly slow.

"We healed as much as we could but because the third degree burns on her body were so extensive, with a medical staff like ours… without Tsunade hime-sama, there isn't much we can do, and there were so many other people we needed to conserve our chakra for. The best case scenario would be her waking up but be forever confined to a wheelchair and endure debilitating complications from her injuries…." She hesitated, "The worst case… would be for her remain in her coma with the wounds eventually taking a toll on her, go into septic shock and die. It's a wonder she didn't go into shock immediately from the pain in the first place."

Kakashi solemnly nodded and slowly took the proffered envelope from the nurse, murmuring a barely audible thanks. She bowed apologetically and left him to his own devices, closing the door behind her quietly.

 _Dear Kakashi-san,_

 _I'm so glad you're alive and well. I mean, you're reading this letter, so of course. I've heard from the nurses that you've been hovering outside this door for several weeks now but never came in. I was wondering when you'd eventually enter and say hi. I didn't even know you were outside, until some nurses giggled about you looking so lost when they came to change my mother's IV drip yesterday._

Kakashi coughed awkwardly and scratched the back of his head. He hadn't wanted to intrude on her alone time with her mother.

 _You may be wondering why I'm writing you a letter at the moment when I could have just stubbornly waited to speak with you… I may still be a child, but I understand by now, when someone is not ready to talk to me. So instead of forcing you to, when you're still recovering, I decided to speak to you first, even if indirectly._

 _I wanted to thank you for saving my mother. I wanted to thank you for looking out for my safety, being harsh and reprimanding me for my shortsightedness. I was rash, not thinking about the consequences of my idiocy. I deeply apologize for that and I hope you will forgive me. If I had left quickly, you would have had more time to go help the others, less time for the enemies to approach my group and prevent us from getting to shelter._

 _I can guess that you perhaps feel guilt over how my mother ended up in a coma. But if there is anyone to blame, it would be me. So please, don't apologize, don't feel guilt over it. I don't have anything to forgive you for and I certainly don't hate you. Instead, I can't thank you enough for saving both my life and my mother's. What happened to my father, to my mother, is the consequence of what they did and attempted to do._

 _Please understand that I won't hate you. I consider you my friend, someone who has been helping me and Sasuke-kun just as Itachi nii-san had._

Here he could tell that there was a gap in between Itachi's name and the endearment, showing hesitancy. He wondered why.

 _Speaking of Sasuke-kun, he hasn't been back to the academy for some time now. The third week, as a matter of fact. I'm worried about how he is faring. I heard many of his relatives were either severely injured, arrested as traitors, missing or dead. Is he alone at home? Was he injured? I don't know and again, I can only apologize for not listening to you quickly enough. After we left for the shelter, some people attacked us and I think we separated when an explosion happened. I can't remember much after that._

 _I know I have no right to ask you yet another favor, but please, would you check on Sasuke-kun? I was told what happened to Itachi nii-san and Shisui-san. And I'm so sorry again for what happened… If only I didn't hold you back…_

 _Thank you again and please, rest! I have heard the nurses complaining about how stupid shinobi patients are (especially the civilian doctors) and how they always escape the hospital, despite being warned about their injuries. I hope you aren't like that!_

Kakashi choked. This girl…. Did she specialize in reading people or was that just a coincidence?!

 _I hope we can speak to each other face to face sometime without all the awkwardness of letter exchanges… But only if you're willing! Until then and many thanks!_

 _Sincerely,_

 _Sakura_

The Jounin sighed and combed a hand through his hair. So this was what Itachi was talking about. The girl was indeed very perceptive and extremely mature for her age. Sure, she did behave rather childishly in an inappropriate setting during that time, but she reflected over her actions and admitted she was in the wrong. Not many children do that.

As for Itachi's little brother… He often checked on Mikoto-sama as well whenever he wasn't busy helping with tightening security and going out on missions to compensate for the sudden loss of quite a few Jounin, Chunin and Genin. But whenever he went to her hospital room, Sasuke was never there though after asking around, he knew that the kid was always there visiting, just at sporadic times of the day. It didn't take a brain to realize that he was being avoided. Maybe he should have a talk with Hokage-sama to see how the Uchiha boy was doing emotionally and who he was staying with. Surely, Hokage-sama wouldn't let the boy stay at home by himself?

Kakashi walked quietly towards the bed and peered at the two people. Sakura stirred on the edge of the bed and Kakashi glanced at her quickly, only to let out a relieved sigh when she quieted back to sleep. She must have been really tired. He bowed slightly at the comatose woman, though he had no need to and patted Sakura's head very gently so as to not wake her up. Sometimes, he wondered if this is what he would have done if he had a baby sister. But he had only interacted with Sakura for a short period of time and he didn't think she would appreciate that kind of sentiment. At least she still thought of him as a friend.

He quickly shook his head. No, he shouldn't get too close to anyone anymore. On friendly terms? Yes. But closer than that and they may get killed like all the others. He can't anymore. He still couldn't reconcile himself to what Hokage-sama had been telling him. Not yet, because the pain was still too fresh.

His senses picked up on signature heading his way: a civilian. That must be Sakura's guardian, Kagomori-san, coming to pick her up.

Kakashi quickly gave the pink-haired girl another hesitant pat on the head and in throwing an extra blanket around her shoulders, strode towards the open window where a cool breeze was blowing in, giving the room a fresh autumnal smell instead of the antiseptics he hated so much. He looked back at the bed one last time and noticed the name tag at the foot of it: Mebuki. No last name?

The door to the room began to slide open. Kagomori walked into an empty room save for his charge and her mother. And an open window with the rich, night sky.

-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-

"Arggghhh! This is impossible, dattebayo! The Bunshin no Jutsu is impossible to do! Can't we just, I don't know… NOT DO IT?! Why did it have to be on the stinking test!" Naruto whined pathetically as he rolled around on the grass clutching his head. Sakura could only smile sympathetically and chuckle at the comical reaction he was making over one simple jutsu. Well, simple for everyone but the blond boy.

They were at a park today, a different one that was closer to Kagomori-sama's residential district. It was much more secluded so they didn't have much to worry about when it came to bullying. A perk for being under Kagomori's guardianship was that those who bullied her answered to the man himself- and no one dared. But it also meant that no one was willing to go near her either.

Naruto had failed the Bunshin no Jutsu part of the exam. He barely made it through the written portion even with Sakura constantly forcing him to study with her, and he made it through the taijutsu demonstration only because before all the mess in their lives happened, he had stuck to Sasuke like a burr, demanding to train with him and Sakura as well. That one event still made Sakura slump into fits of giggling much to Naruto's embarrassment. After Iruka-sensei spoke with the Hokage, the teachers reluctantly decided that if he learned it within one week, they'll let him pass in time to graduate.

And tomorrow was the day he was supposed to show the fruits of his labor… except he had nothing to show for, even despite his hours of practicing, and Sakura's encouragement and tips.

Naruto flopped onto his back and stared at the tree canopies, watching as the branches of colorful autumn leaves danced in the wind.

"Why is it so easy for other kids to use this jutsu except for me?" The blond muttered. "What is it about me that's different? I don't get it."

Sakura scrunched her nose thoughtfully and frowned. "I don't really know either. Hmmm… Let me see you try the chakra control exercise. You know, the one with sticking leaves on your body."

Naruto pouted but stood to do as she asked anyway. He picked a few random but largely intact leaves and tried to stick them on his forehead, his arms and legs. Each of them would hold only a little while before falling when he tried to put the next leaf on. Finally, after several attempts at getting at least more than four to stick on his body, he threw the extra leaves in the air in a frustrated shout.

"Ya see how bad I'm at this?! I really hate ta do this ex'cise, 'ttebayo!" Sakura suppressed a smile of amusement; Naruto's heavy slang and halfway pronounced words often appeared when he was frustrated, annoyed or angry.

"What were you trying to do when you stuck the leaves on?" When Naruto gave her a confused and mildly annoyed look, the green-eyed girl sighed inwardly and tried to rephrase it in another way. "How were you using your chakra to stick the leaves to your body?"

"Huh? I mean, I just have bits of my chakra moving to a certain point in my body when I want to stick a leaf there. Isn't that what we're supposed to do?"

"Wait, you mean…. You tried to split your chakra pool into separate… strands in your body to travel to the places you wanted to stick leaves on?"

"Uh… I guess that's what I wanted to say… What about it? Was that- was that bad, 'ttebayo?"

Sakura shook her head in amazement. In actuality, she had never tried it that way. What she did was to cover her entire body in a thin sheen of chakra, just enough for the leaves to stick but not flood her body in a way that would leave her with chakra exhaustion. Flooding the body all at once could only be possible if you had the chakra pool big enough for that. Sakura inwardly frowned; her chakra pool was pathetically small.

On the other hand, to stick even four leaves on his body while concentrating on splitting his chakra into strands to go different directions in his body…. That kind of precision control was actually a level or two past coating the whole entire body and at the same time, used less chakra. So to do something so finely detailed as what he was attempting to do… well that was actually pretty good. But it was not what he needed. No wonder he couldn't really do the Leaf Adhesion Technique.

"Naruto-kun, I think you got the instructions for the technique wrong. Why don't you try coating your body with a layer of chakra instead? While maintaining that, try to stick the leaves on your body."

He nodded and with a little concentration, he pushed his chakra from his stomach to the surface of the rest of his body.

For a moment, the strength and concentration of chakra was so strong, his whole entire body lit up a burning blue, the force of the push strong enough to rustle leaves on the trees nearby.

"Naruto-kun! Tone it down!" She shouted in alarm. If he flooded his body with so much chakra like that and all at once, he was either going to experience chakra exhaustion or chakra shock-!

"Oh whoops, sorry, Sakura-chan." He stopped outputting chaka entirely in an instant and scratched the back of his head. "That was bad, wasn't it? Uh, I'll try that again…"

He stuck his tongue out in his concentration and soon a pale blue light lit his body again, though this time, as concentrated as the chakra still was, the strength of it was much less. Sakura was dazed. She could only look on in awe at the amount of raw chakra Naruto possessed. Just how much did he have for someone who was still in the academy?

"What's going on here?"

Naruto's chakra flared out of control for the second time before disappearing as the two children whirled around in surprise to find a man in a Jounin vest glaring down at them. "Why are you two young children out here on your own and using chakra so dangerously?"

"Um, I- I'm so sorry for the trouble we caused!" Sakura bowed low in apology, her hand forcing Naruto's head down to bow as well. "We were j-just practicing an academy jutsu-"

"I don't care what you two brats are doing, least of all the little demon. Go home now before I report you two for being unaccompanied. Hokage-sama may have lowered the lock-down signal, it doesn't mean the streets are safe enough for kids to be loitering around."

"W-we're sorry! We'll go home now!" Sakura cried hurriedly, before pushing Naruto behind her get out of the park first. Best not to annoy someone with enough authority to punish them severely for disobeying, right?

But how was she going to help Naruto prepare for tomorrow now?

Sakura glanced anxiously in Naruto's direction, but when he turned towards her, she quickly put on a reassuring smile.

"Well, Naruto-kun, I'll walk with you to your apartment first!"

Naruto wanted to protest, but Sakura would have none of it. She gently pushed Naruto in front of her and began walking in the direction of Naruto's home.

"Be sure to practice the chakra control exercise a few times first before trying the bunshin jutsu!" Sakura said at the door of the blond's apartment, who in turn looked anxiously at her.

"Do you think I'll be able to pass?"

Sakura hesitated, unable to answer without the possibility of lying should the opposite happen. She had learned from Itachi that reality didn't always suit their wishes. Yet, Itachi also gave kindness and support where it was needed despite that harsh reality.

"I won't say yes or no, Naruto-kun, because I can't tell the future. But Kagomori-sama and Itachi-san always said that one must first believe in and trust yourself. Set your goal, believe in them and the chances of you succeeding will increase." Sakura gave him a quick hug and whispered encouragingly. "Just do your best, Naruto-kun! I'll always cheer for you!"

-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-

Sakura had wanted to wait outside the academy the next day and wait for Naruto after his exam, but Kagomori forbade her since she had a ton of things she needed to learn. Her schedule for the day was full since he'd been lenient and allowed her to get out early the day before.

"Don't expect me to be so lenient on you in future," he'd warned. "I have been charged with training you to be the next heir of the respected Kasamura-san and you already have a blackened record because of your parents. I will make sure to set you straight. You will be nothing like your heritage."

So she was made to wake up at five in the morning for a quiet and simple breakfast before she was quite literally pulled into her first lesson of the day- finance and accounting. Then, she had bookkeeping, investing and a class in Konoha's civilian trading history as well as the other major countries and numerous minor ones. Lunch at noon consisted of learning the finer arts needed at social gatherings- table manners and social etiquette depending on whom she met with and what their social statuses were. Thankfully, her own mother had touched upon the basics before, so she didn't feel like she was being dragged through the mud.

After lunch, she took lessons in Ikebana, various types of tea ceremony from the different countries they often traded with and invested in, cooking, and learning the banking code system used in the Kasamura clan as well as refining her knowledge of her own family's system. Despite her relief in at least keeping some remnant of her family with her, she'd asked why she was learning her own- no, the Haruno clan's system when it was no longer going to exist. Kagomori had looked at her like it was obvious, before explaining that despite the Haruno clan's demise, their system was to be respected for their attention to detail and efficiency. She should learn to differentiate between what is beneficial for her and what isn't, he said to her pointedly. And what wasn't are always discarded.

And then, there were the work dinners he stated she was going to have every other night to test her memory.

"Sakura, there are two things you must always remember, if not anything else." Kagomori-sama's gaze was intense and all the pinkette could do was nod silently in an effort to still her trembling nerves. It was kind of impossible for her to keep her appetite when the atmosphere was so tense. But if Kagomori-sama noticed her almost cowed reaction to the aura he was putting forth and pitied her, he made no effort in rectifying her behavior or giving her comfort. "I will first ask you a question. In the ancient history texts of the great kingdoms in pre-shinobi era, what was the key factor that led to each dynasty's downfall and made the rise of a new one necessary?"

Sakura scrunched her nose in concentration as she thought back to the history tomes she had begun to memorize. Thinking quickly before the allotted minute was over, she began to realize what was a common oversight that many leaders, kings and emperors made, leading to a failing system, a corrupt government and anarchy that imploded into wars and rebellions. The girl's eyes lit up in the new found knowledge.

"There was no one fit to take the throne after the passing of the predecessor."

"It goes deeper than that." Kagomori-sama sipped at his tea leisurely.

"In almost all instances, those predecessors made no effort in training or shaping a successor to follow in their footsteps after them. Whether they be ruthless but effective totalitarians or righteous and benevolent rulers, their shortcoming was that they neglected in preparing future generations to maintain the stability they had established. Instead, they were preoccupied with satiating themselves and their obsession in leaving a materialistic legacy: building grand mausoleums and statues to their name. " He looked deep into her verdant eyes, holding them steady to emphasize what he was about to say.

"But in the end, should their kingdom fall to their enemies, their people become vulnerable and are starving and dying, what then? Will those mausoleums, statues and grand structures save them from being destroyed? Always remember this, as a leader, your people must always come before the self. Just as Hokage-sama protects his village, being the head of Kasamura-san's clan means you put them before yourself. And in order to do that, one must look not just at the present, but calculate into the future as well. You must always be one step ahead and begin paving the way for your successor even as you've just begun. Never neglect in the training as soon as you find one worthy to take your place. So remember these two important factors I'm passing onto you, preparation and…. Preparation."

"What are some of the first things you must be aware of when you fly a kite?"

It was after dinner and the servants came and went, whisking away the dishes before replacing them with a plate of wagashi and a small, delicate cup of rich, frothy green tea.

Sakura looked quizzically at Kagomori-sama before shrugging. She had never flown one before. Rather, she'd watched others fly them, admiring the colorfully constructed toys as they flew so freely. A lot of times though, because the wind was so strong that the kites lost direction and were either dragged to the ground or snagged by a tree, ripped full of holes.

"Ummm, the direction and strength of the wind, and whether there are any obstructions in the vicinity?"

"Not quite. Those are but a fraction of the influence in flying one. What's most essential is how well the flyer controls the spool and how far the kite is allowed to go. If one let's the wire go out too quickly, the kite will lose control, dragged here and there by the tumultuous winds without a direction. In the end, the kite will snag onto trees, torn and broken. If the wire is too short, the kite will not be able to catch the wind and just simply fall back to the earth without experiencing the sky." Kagomori-sama quieted for a moment when the servant came near again to refill their now empty cups with a lighter type of green tea, clear and crisp in taste.

"When disciplining and training your successor, or even your children in the future, never allow them too much freedom. Set them boundaries, teach them to differentiate between what needs to be done, what should never be done. Hone into them self-control and balance. To be ruthless yet compassionate, strong yet flexible, open-minded yet unbending. And always teach them what I have taught you; to pass this knowledge down to the next generation without faltering. Then and only then, as they learn this balance, can you slowly loosen the wire, until the kite can fly freely in the wind. Do you understand?"

"Hai, Kagomori-sama."

And so, the night continued on as he quizzed her on various subjects and topics taught to her from the previous week up until that morning. With all the information she had to review and retain, she had almost forgotten about Naruto. Almost.

Then, the alarm bells rang during the dead of night, alerting everyone within the household. Sakura had been dozing off, reading up on information for the kunoichi side of her training. Her head dipped up and down like the bamboo pipe of the sōzu fountain in the garden out back, her fringes tempting the dangerous, flickering candle flames into caressing the tips of her hair. The loud, deep tolling of the bells had her jerking her head up violently though, preventing her face from meeting the pages of the thick volume intimately but causing her to fall off her chair disoriented. Servants were running around anxiously by the time she picked herself up from the tatami floor and peeked outside her door.

"Um…" Sakura trailed off, unsure of whom to call out to. She hadn't memorized all the servant's names and many disliked her because of her background to begin with. It was only due to being under Kagomori's protection and by his strict instruction that none were outright snubbing her to her face. She sighed, gathered her minuscule courage and spoke louder, addressing anyone coming her way. "What is this alarm about?"

An older servant glanced her way, his eyes a blank canvas and utterly cold. "Ah, Sakura-sama, I apologize for waking you in the commotion. It seems that something has happened at the Hokage tower. Kagomori-sama has instructed all of us to check and lock all doors, safes and the library. No one is to go out until the shinobi have lifted the alarm." He gave a shallow bow in mock reverence. "Therefore, Sakura-sama, please return to your room and have a good night's rest. We will be protecting you so there is nothing to worry about." He turned around without another word, dismissing her immediately.

As if she could.

-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-

The next morning came bright and early. Sakura was once again woken at five for a light breakfast and a quick lesson on the next chapter of ancient history. Despite having little to no sleep from the night's excitement, she was actually looking forward to learning more about the pre-shinobi era. It was fascinating to her, how there were large civilizations that had existed without the use of chakra, without the existence of shinobis. She had thought it impossible, ingrained with its necessity as she was living in a village breeding and training them. She knew that even civilian villages around the country hire shinobis as well, as much as they also fear them. To her, they were inherent. Yet, she had once wished and imagined her life without that very concept and here it was, this ancient history of kingdoms and empires without them. She was completely enamored by the stories held in the tomes; she didn't mind having to memorize them along with other information.

After her lesson, she quickly made her way to the academy to take a look at the list of names posted at the gates of those who passed. She laughed in relief and happiness for Naruto when she saw his name somewhere at the bottom. He'd passed! He did it!

She ran into their classroom, eager at seeing him there and to hug him. She planned on asking permission to invite him to dinner for a celebration since she wasn't scheduled to have a work dinner that night.

She froze at the doorway. There he was, his dark hair in that awkward style that reminded her of a sooty patch of grass stuck horizontally to the back of his head while Naruto nicknamed it 'duck-butt'. Sasuke. He was sitting in the middle row of the middle column, eyes narrowed and face partially hidden behind clasped fingers. After missing class for more almost a month, his once open expression had completely changed. He was closed off and so, so cold, like the gaze of that male servant who'd spoken with her last night. She shivered in anxiety. Did… did something else happen to him during those weeks and she wasn't there for him? Maybe she should have put her foot down in finding out where he'd been and how he'd been fairing.

Guilt never feels pleasant.

"Sasuke… kun? Are you… feeling unwell?"

He ignored her and glowered all the more fiercely. She gulped apprehensively. She was sure must have wronged him somehow now. That had to be it.

"Sasuke-kun, did I- did I do something wrong against you? If I did, I hadn't meant it and I'm really sor-"

He cut her off with a deadly stare and growled a warning. "Shut up, you're annoying."

She flinched away from him, hurt by the statement. "I'm- I'm sorry…"

Sasuke's expression wavered a bit before hardening again into a wall of stone, turning his face away from her in a deliberate show of ignoring her existence. And it hurt. It hurt a lot.

"Sakura-chan! Oi, Sasuke-teme, you're here, 'ttebayo! Where were you?! Haven't seen you in more than three weeks! You missed out on a lot! Oh, guess what I have! I've got the hitai-ate-"

"Shut your mouth, usuratonkachi. Your voice is giving me a migraine."

"Oi, bastard, what's up with ya, dattebayo! Quite havin' a stick up your-"

"Finish that sentence, and you're going to get it, you dobe."

The classroom had begun filling by then and Sakura looked between them anxiously, wanting to stop whatever was brewing between the two boys. Naruto marched up the steps and jumped onto the desk in front of Sasuke in defiance, and proceeded to begin a glaring contest with him despite the angry shouts from Sasuke's fangirls, and Ino.

"What do you think you're doing, you idiot! Get away from Sasuke-kun!"

"Hey, don't look at Sasuke-kun like that!"

"Sasuke-kun, just punch him out already! Show him his place!"

One of the girls stomped over to pull Naruto away from Sasuke's face but as Sakura also hurried over to prevent Naruto getting pummeled by the girls, the fangirl tripped and instead pushed Naruto with her hand when she reached out to steady herself.

The next few minutes were as silent as the dead when the whole entire class tried to reconcile what they were seeing with their eyes to the information being registered in their brains. Naruto and Sasuke were sharing lips to lips contact…. The kind people called kissing.

The minutes after that was total chaos when the fangirls jumped to action, clambering over each other to get at Naruto, shrieking with horror at the revelation while Naruto and Sasuke gagged terrifically; it was the first change in expression on Sasuke's face that Sakura saw.

 **Should I be happy that he still has emotions or just… pity him for this traumatic experience?**

Sakura could only shake her head at Inner's comment.

"Class! Will you never begin the day a little more peacefully?!" Iruka lamented loudly as he entered the classroom and rapped on the teacher's desk. "Get off of Naruto! Anyone who tries to start a fight from here on out will be stripped of their right to graduate!"

That immediately had everyone scrambling into a seat and without knowing how it happened, Sakura found herself pushed into sitting between a fiercely glowering Sasuke and a beaten Naruto with bruises and cuts all over his face. She could only silently pass him a cream to ease the blackening of his skin and a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

"Now, for all of you who are present in this room, I congratulate you in passing the Genin exams." Iruka smiled happily and glanced quickly in Naruto's direction, who grinned a split-lip smile gesturing his hand at the Sensei with a victory sign.

 _Interesting… Just what happened between them?_

"The official graduation ceremony will be held tomorrow at the entrance so be sure to let your parents… and guardians know. Attendance at the ceremony is mandatory. Today, however, you will be assigned by the Hokage to teams of three under a Jounin instructor. This Sensei is the one who will train you and guide you through on field experience. You will know who your Sensei is after the the ceremony. Any questions?"

When the graduates just cheered and demanded impatiently to hear who they were teaming up with in their excitement, Iruka just moved onto reading through the team assignment list.

Lo and behold, she was assigned to… she guessed it correctly: Naruto and Sasuke. Naruto had in turns cheered at hearing her name with his and grumbled unhappily when Sasuke's was called. Said black-haired boy just went from scowling to scowling even more. Was he limited to only those expressions now?

"So that's it!" Iruka slapped the clipboard onto the teacher's desk with finality, a glint of melancholy reflecting in his eyes. "You may have been brats at some point in time or another, but I was really happy to teach you all. I hope the next time I see you, you'll be full-fledged shinobi and kunoichi working hard to protect and uphold the honor of this village! Be back tomorrow at three o'clock for the graduation and hitai-ate ceremony! You are dismissed!"

"Hey, Naruto! You brat, how'd you get a hitai-ate before us?!" Some of the kids tried to swarm him at the front doors and it was then she finally noticed that his usual goggles was replaced by a metal plate fastened onto dark blue, cotton cloth. The Konohagakure insignia was engraved onto the metal and the badge tied to his forehead. It was an old one though, she could tell; the metal was slightly scratched and the cloth frayed here and there.

"Not telling you bastards!" The blond boy stuck his tongue out childishly and pulled Sakura to him by the arm to escape the indignant crowd. "I don't have to answer you!"

"But how did you get it though, Naruto-kun?" Sakura asked curiously after they safely made sure their classmates were out of their hair. "I know you would never steal it, but I also know that the hitai-ate is not new… Was it Iruka-sensei's?"

Naruto looked at her incredulously, confirming her hypothesis. She laughed lightly and patted his shoulder. "I noticed Iruka-sensei wasn't wearing his. Yours looked familiar and he was looking at you when he congratulated us for passing. I could only assume after I putting two and two together."

"Whoa, Sakura-chan, you're so smart!" Naruto scratched his head sheepishly, in awe of Sakura's deduction, to which she flushed in embarrassment. "Well… to be honest, I uh, I didn't pass that test yesterday. I was really upset and Mizuki-sensei came to find me afterwards and told me about a secret test that would guarantee that I pass."

"That sounds highly improbable… that means unlikely."

"Yeah…I guess I was just so hopeful of passing and graduating with you and Sasuke-teme… Well, Mizuki-sensei lied and I- I trusted him and was tricked." The whiskered boy winced at the memory and Sakura reached out a hand and squeezed it comfortingly.

"He told me to go get a forbidden scroll from the Hokage's office library and master one of the jutsus written in it." He laughed, "It turned out that the first jutsu I see is a type of bunshin jutsu- the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, how ironic is that? Somehow, I managed to learn it and Iruka-sensei found me in the forest practicing it."

 _That must have been what the alarm was about._

 **For Naruto, an academy student, to be able to sneak into the Hokage's office which is filled to the brim with important and confidential documents, what does that say about our village's security?**

"Long story short, Mizuki-sensei wanted to kill me before taking the scroll I stole and escape the village. He… revealed something jiji said was illegal to, and threatened to kill Iruka-sensei too. I got so angry and next thing I knew, I made so many kage bunshins that they filled the forest trees. Then I beat him to a pulp, ha! He didn't stand a chance and peed in his pants too. He got arrested and because I was able to pull off the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, Iruka-sensei gave me his hitai-ate to celebrate my passing the jutsu portion of the test!" He adjusted his hitai-ate proudly and rubbed a finger under his nose with a triumphant smile.

"So that's why Mizuki-sensei wasn't here today." Sakura smiled and hugged Naruto again. "Well, congratulations, Naruto-kun! I knew you will somehow pull through! I want to ask Kagomori-sama if you can come over to eat dinner with us. Will you be okay with that?"

"I c-can?!" His blue eyes widened in surprise and hope. The pinkette could only smile even wider at making her best friend happy, though in the back of her mind, she thought of another friend who was not there to celebrate with them. She shook her head internally. Later, she'll think about that situation later.

"Of course! I wouldn't be asking if you couldn't! Walk with me!"

Kagomori, despite adamantly denying leniency with her after that one time, allowed her to invite her friend to dinner. He even had the cook make something extra for dessert, ohagi, her favorite. Naruto had never tried it, but after the first bite, he was eating away happily and thanking the cook, Kagomori and her profusely for the delicious meal. He'd never had anyone besides jiji (she realized with mixed amusement and horror, that he was referring to the Hokage) celebrate anything with him before, let alone tasted an elaborate meal like the one he just had. That only fermented the idea in Sakura's head to do this more often.

The next day, the academy grounds were crowded with people young and old as they watched student by student walk proudly to the front of a stage to receive their own hitai-ate from the Hokage personally. After a charismatic speech about the Will of Fire and the importance of working together to better and strengthen the village, the ceremony was over and the teams informed of who their Sensei was.

Hatake Kakashi. Their Sensei was Hatake Kakashi. Her face-to-face meeting with him was coming sooner than she expected. She could only hope he was ready to talk to her about whatever it was that was making him avoid her like the plague as much as Sasuke was showing his displeasure at being grouped with her openly.

 **A/N: So thank you for waiting patiently for this next installment of WFSM! And Sasuke is finally back in the picture and much more antisocial than before! Wonder what's happened? Dun, dun, dun ~...**

 **Here's to answering some of the questions posed in the reviews recently and I sincerely apologize for the long for some answers!**

 **Guest (X-tudo): Hi, thank you for giving me such a long review! Your opinion and thoughts are very much important to me in helping me understand how readers are following the story and how I can improve on it. So it seems there may have been just a liiiittle confusion here… I will clarify some things but I don't want to give away too much because not everything will be explained immediately but will unfold as time goes on in order to develop Sakura's and everyone else's characters.**

 **In the story, Kizashi is not the one who directly killed Kasamura and his family but rather, it is the Uchiha clan elders as was announced in the closing of the trials. Kizashi helped orchestrating both groups of people in a similar direction and the end result happened to be this way. Kagomori (the chairman of the association) had nothing to do with the incident.**

 **Kagomori, the Hokage, Itachi, Kakashi, Shisui and Fugaku suspected that Kasamura may have stumbled upon something about Kizashi's identity and other dirt that he should not have and was silenced for it. It just so happened that Kasamura caught on and knew the consequences, therefore passing on his title to Mebuki as a backup. This in turn happened to benefit both her and Sakura in terms of a sudden promotion of title and family status. Of course, this really didn't sit well with the rest of the civilian clans and they began to overspeculate that she had a hand in Kasamura and his family's death since her bank and her family was almost a no name clan, without any power. To suddenly gain this rise in power, then find out Kizashi's treachery, it was a huge blow and therefore, Mebuki and family are now considered untrustworthy. As for whether there were any deeper manipulations and by whom… the rest of what is really going on will come bit by bit as the story goes on though, so I can't tell you much more~ ~ 3…**

 **JAYXLE: Thank you for your long review as well! Hahaha! I am kind of sadistic too, I guess! Unfortunately for Sakura, she'll have to learn, as do all other characters, that sometimes, maturation and growth can only come through trial by fire. As for Danzo… ehehehe, I actually am still debating on whether to kill him off and make him leave behind a whole mess of mysteries and intrigue or keep him for some secondary, tertiary purpose… or something like that. But don't worry! Hokage isn't going to just let him go without giving him a huge blow to his power…. Or something like that. Hahahaha!**

 **Thanks again for all those who reviewed, favorited, or followed my story! Special thanks to the others who also reviewed! :**

 **fourthfireshadow**

 **AngelicRiver**

 **I'm currently working on Chapter 11, which goes more in depth with the canon part of the series. But of course, there will be many things that will no longer be the same. The three children graduating three to four years earlier than canon has already done that. SO please anticipate it!**

 **Also, I am writing a new Naruto fanfiction called Touched by Fire (TBF for short). Please read it as well once it is released and support me there too! I will be posting the summary of the story really soon perhaps along with the next chapter of WFSM…. or I'll just straight up post the chapter itself. Yeah, okay, enough babbling. See you again soon!**

 **Adieu,**

 **Hitori15**


	12. 11: There are No Delusions in Battle

**A/N: I'm baaaaack! And do I really need to make a disclaimer? No. I think it's pretty obvious who Naruto belongs to since it's this popular…**

Chapter 11: There are No Delusions in Battle

It wasn't surprising that Naruto was first to break the silence inside the classroom with his loud impatience. Not that Sakura could blame him, as their _ever punctual_ Hatake-sensei had yet to appear in the past hour and a half, now going on two. The bemused pinkette watched the hyperactive boy pace irritably to and fro before the blackboard, switching between muttering to himself and throwing his hands in the air in frustration after glancing at the clock and door… that was till he abruptly paused when he muttered the threat of pranks. Sakura's bemusement turned to wariness.

"Just what are you plotting now, Naruto-kun? You're not thinking what I _think_ you're thinking, are you?" Suspicion wove her words.

Naruto seemed to freeze like a deer in the headlights- except for the fact that he didn't remain so. Unfortunately, he decided to charge headlong towards the lights with the stubbornness of a bull. He shook himself out of his thoughts and grinned wickedly at her as he walked up to the blackboard and plucked the eraser off of it's perch.

"Come on, Sakura-chan! Don't tell me you're not as frustrated and annoyed at this Hatake-sensei as I am! Hel-heck, I bet even Sasuke-teme here is also annoyed even if his stupid stone face won't show it, dattebayo!"

What could Sakura really say to that besides lying through her teeth and say that she wasn't annoyed? She'd be buddha if she wasn't. Naruto knew and grinned, prancing towards the entryway while dragging the teacher's chair in one hand and climbed onto it to lodge the eraser at the slightly open door.

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan. It's not like I'm going all out and dumping a bucket-full of colored itching powder on him. He's getting it easy!" He proceeded to laugh boisterously and the pinkette all but sighed heavily in defeat. Like she could ever stop this self-proclaimed king of pranks from pulling off any of his tricks.

 _Well, Kakashi-sa- sensei is a Jounin, so he will definitely be able to avoid it, right?_

"Please don't get us in trouble before we even meet our Sensei, Naruto-kun."

"Dobe, are you stupid? He's a freaking Jounin. What kind of Jounin falls for that sort of stupid trick?" Sasuke spoke at long last though only to sneer at Naruto and Sakura glanced disapprovingly at him, even if she inwardly winced convinced now that she had somehow wronged him which led to his extreme dislike for both of them. "Don't you dare embarrass us in front of our Sensei because of your pathetic attempt at getting back at him."

Sakura was about to get up and take down the eraser herself to spare them all the trouble when Kakashi's signature head of silver hair peeked through the opening door and the children watched as if in slow motion, the eraser's descent. The chalky object landed on their soon-to-be Sensei's head before bouncing off to land on the floor with a muffled thud. The silence after that was deafening.

Kakashi stared at them with such intensity before uttering the one thing that made the three children cringe, all with an extremely fake smile. "Hmmm… How should I say this… My first impression of you guys? I don't like you at all." His smile dropped faster than a thousand kilogram block of lead in free fall.

"Meet me on the roof." He disappeared in the next second with a pop and a puff of smoke.

Sasuke glared intensely at Naruto before marching through the door, simmering with ire. "Thanks for getting us into trouble, usuratonkachi."

"Sh-shut up, teme! It's his fault for being late, 'ttebayo!"

"Let's just get up there, Naruto-kun…" Sakura groaned in exasperation and pulled Naruto by the arm to go up to the roof and meet with their annoyed Sensei.

If only this day would end faster…

.

11

.

Sakura dragged her feet towards her bed as soon as the door behind her slid closed. The day had been long and after Kakashi-sa- sensei (she needed to remember to address him appropriately!) had them introduce themselves to each other, he had declared that they would have a survival test tomorrow to see if they'd _really_ pass as fully-fledged Genin. She then remembered the words of Iruka-sensei told them during the last day of class:

 _"I hope the next time I see you, you'll be full-fledged shinobi and kunoichi working hard to protect and uphold the honor of this village!"_

 _I see… So Iruka-sensei already hinted at this second test already. I should have noticed his oddly phrased words…_

 **Cha! We'll definitely make sure to pay more attention to what goes on around us! That's what being a ninja is about, right?!**

 _Yeah… I guess so… We need to train more in our perception skills. This skill isn't just going to be necessary for our ninja career, but for the political battles involved in our family._

 **That's the spirit!**

 _So… how do we prepare for tomorrow?_ _Is_ _there anything we can do to prepare for tomorrow's survival test?_

 **Well, he said we can't eat because we may throw up, and to meet at five in the morning at training ground three…**

 _But… if it's a survival training….._ Sakura began.

 **Don't we have to eat?** Inner finished with a triumphant smirk inside Sakura's mind.

 _So there is definitely more to his instructions than we thought there are. But how do we understand what he really means without overly nitpicking every word he says all the darn time?_

Inner remained silent this time and the two contemplated that idea as Sakura headed for her work dinner with Kagomori.

The next morning, the young girl woke up before the dawn to prepare a small but nutritious breakfast for herself and a sandwich for Naruto and Sasuke each. Knowing them, she was sure they would really forgo eating and try to survive this 'survival test' on an empty stomach. Imagine her surprise when only Sasuke showed up hungry.

"I was so hungry that I couldn't help it! I just couldn't resist a bowl of ramen, 'ttebayo…" Naruto nervously trailed off while scratching the back of his head when Sakura asked him why he ate. Sakura laughed and patted him on the shoulder reassuringly before handing him the okaka flavored omelette sandwich anyway, knowing that just a bowl of ramen wouldn't get him through the day. Count on his stomach to solve the problem for Naruto, even without him realizing it.

Sasuke, on the other hand, scowled at Sakura's explanation and tried to ignore the smell of the okaka flakes within the omelette. His stomach, of course, ignored him and protested its hunger. Sensing his pride issues getting in the way, Sakura quietly set the sandwich beside him and didn't say another word. He picked it up and began nibbling on it grudgingly not long after.

It took another hour and a half for their sensei to arrive, reading an orange hard-cover book in one hand while the other covered a yawn.

"You're late, 'ttebayo!" Naruto shouted with much vigor and annoyance. He sprang to his feet and jabbed a rude index finger towards Kakashi-sensei's direction sputtering indignantly, "You made us wake up so early for nothing! Where were you?!"

Kakashi-sensei didn't even bother looking up from his book and waved a hand dismissively at Naruto. "Mah, just got lost on the road of life, then ran into a black cat, so I had to turn around and take a detour. Nothing big."

"You mean you got lost reading your book!" Naruto continued his one-sided shouting match, flabbergasted at the idea that their teacher was making such lame excuses. Even he could think of better excuses than that! The blond boy squinted at the book the one-eyed man was holding and immediately backpedaled in disgust. "Gaah! You're reading the same pervy book jiji hides in his office desk!"

Sakura tried to stifle her laughter and Sasuke managed to snort before he stiffened and looked away, his ears tinting light pink. Of course they knew who Naruto was mentioning by now.

"Eeeh, my reading material is none of your business, so if you don't like what you see, then don't look at it…. And it's not porn, it's literature with adult romance you pipsqueaks will never understand nor appreciate."

"Um, Naruto-kun never said it was porn, just that it was perverted." Sakura slid a glance at Naruto's grinning expression, eyes lit with glee. "But then, only those who are trying to hide the fact that something actually is, would be so adamant in the denial of it."

Kakashi coughed into his hand awkwardly and ignored her jab. He took out an alarm clock seemingly out of nowhere and set it on a tree stump on his left. He briefly closed his book, though his thumb was tucked in between the pages as a human bookmark and took out two bells.

Kakashi dangled them in front of the three children's faces like tempting bait, the bells jingling merrily. "Well, let's get started. Today's test is for you to retrieve these two bells from my person. The alarm is set for noon. Those who can't get one will flunk my test and be sent back to the academy."

"Ehhhh! B-but that's not fair!", spluttered Naruto, "We all worked hard to gain our hitai-ate when we graduated at the academy! Now you're saying that there's a chance that it will be taken back from us?!"

"There are only two bells… and there is one of you, a _Jounin_ Sensei." Sakura said quietly, mind whirring like a finely oiled machine.

 _ **And no matter how much he seems to be goofing off, you know him.**_ An unfamiliar, detached voice whispered into Sakura's right ear, and she jerked slightly to the left. Her neck muscles stiffened and a chill glided slowly down her spine. _**He would never have been promoted to Jounin without much merit to be given the title. Besides… didn't he fight in the Third Shinobi World War? If we want to remotely up the chance of even glancing those bells with our fingertips, we're going to have to grab at them like our lives depend on it.**_

 _Who are you?!_

"Sakura-chan? You okay?" Naruto was looking in her direction with an inquisitive but concerned expression spilling across his features. "Are you hungry again?"

Kakashi raised a brow of confusion before narrowing his eyes in Sakura's direction. "Again?"

The lone girl of the group quickly shook her head. "Nothing, Naruto-kun! I'm fine, just… zoned out is all! What were you saying, Ka- Hatake-sensei? I apologize for not paying attention."

Said Sensei scrutinized her for moment till she was surely going to fidget before an unreadable grin crossed his face again, rendering her unable to tell if he was serious or not.

"As I was saying, Sakura, you were right in your observations. In order for you to be able to retrieve at least one bell, let alone both, you will have to come at me with the intent to kill. If you can't get at least one bell, not only will you have your hitai-ates taken, I will also be putting in a note for Hokage-sama to recommend barring you from ever being a ninja because you can't even complete as simple a task as this.

"Easy right? Get the bells and you won't get blacklisted." He dangled the innocent looking bells enticingly in front of their faces as if they were sweet meats before salivating dogs, his aura utterly demeaning.

 **Get the bells and we won't be blacklisted? What if we get only one bell? That's an odd way of phrasing it…**

 _Inner! Did you hear that other voice?! Is- is there another voice?!_

 **What the heck are you talking about?! We have a test to complete so stop freaking out! As far as I know, I'm the only crazy part of you inside of your head, idiot! Now focus on the task at hand!**

Sakura gulped nervously and nodded, not noticing the brief glance Kakashi gave in her direction.

"Well then, we'll start on the count of three-"

Naruto, in his usual display of rashness decided to dash forward without thinking in an attempt to tackle Kakashi for the bells. Faster than a blink of an eye, Kakashi was behind Naruto, a kunai at the nape of the blonde boy's neck. Sakura could see the cold sweat beading down both boys' necks at the unparalleled speed their Sensei just displayed. Who said their probable sensei was incompetent again?

"Yare yare, I didn't even start counting down yet. Here's my first lesson to you all: never rush into battle blindly." The snow-haired Sensei smiled in his laid back way, as if he was chatting with a friend over a cup of coffee. "Though since you came at me with killing intent, however measly it was, I think I may grow to like you three.

"Now, let's start this over." He loosened his grip on the left arm he had twisted gently behind the blond's back. "On your mark- one, two… THREE!"

In the next second, the field was clear of all visible persons. Even Kakashi.

.

11

.

Sakura laid on her stomach beneath a few bushes, heart thumping so violently in her throat, she worried that everyone within the vicinity of a mile would hear it. She took a long, deep, quiet breath… then exhaled just as slowly to clear her nerves a tiny fraction. Just a tiny fraction was all she could ask for as she tried to calculate where everyone else was. She had expected Kakashi to remain in the clearing to allow the three of them a chance at the bells. But of course, that wasn't necessarily a given and he wasn't obligated to do so.

So he wasn't given them any leniency on that aspect of the test, huh?

 _So what should be my first move?_

 **We don't have a lot of time…**

 _Then I'm going to just shrink my chakra signature and try to locate where Kakashi-sensei is. But then there's also that display of speed he showed us just a moment ago._ Sakura gathered as much of her chakra as she could, imagining it being squished into an invisible box in her stomach area before closing the lid on top.

Technically speaking, as she had learned through her studies, it was impossible for her to really suppress all of her chakra. Her body ran on chakra itself and were designated as two types, the Yin and the Yang chakra: the Yin being her life force chakra and the Yang her physical. To completely suppress the Yin chakra would slowly kill her as her organs shut down one by one.

 _We can't underestimate him or let our guard down and we definitely cannot expect that our meager attempt at suppressing our presence is going to prevent him from finding us._

 **Then can we ever hope to go against him and fight for a bell?**

Sakura couldn't answer that question because she'd known all along that he was a _Jounin_. What kind of academy student could hope to win against someone good enough to make that rank, go through both the Third War and the Kyuubi Incident and survive?

 **Let's just find Kakashi-sensei and observe for now.**

Nodding her head, Sakura deftly jogged deeper into the woods, staying as low as possible while trying to search out Kakashi's signature.

Training ground number three was the smaller of the other training grounds and yet, it held a decently sized wooded area, a small pond and several clearings for open air maneuvers. With that vast amount of space, it took Sakura a while to even figure out which position she was in and sort through a plan of surveillance. Reaching towards a particularly low branch, she swung herself up on top of it and began to climb a little ways up for a better view of the ground.

She spotted orange a few feet to her right. Naruto.

She quickly climbed back down and as silently as possible, she watched from her hiding spot behind a cluster of large leafed plants as Naruto fought with clones against Kakashi.

 _Is it me or are those clones solid? Where did he learn how to do those when he could barely get the regular clones to form before?_

 **You can always ask him after this blasted test.**

 _Yeah…_

Just then Naruto gave a loud battle cry and Sakura returned her attention to see him and fifteen other clones rush at Kakashi-sensei, who had… reopened the book he was previously reading? He was reading a book in the middle of a fight?

"Take me seriously, Kakashi-sensei, or else I'm going to pummel you into the ground, dattebayo!" The blond roared, but without even looking up from his book, Kakashi jumped up high into the air and in using only his legs, he kicked out of existence the two nearest clones on either side of him. Then using his free hand he grabbed another clone who was closing in on him from the front by the hair and threw him back, knocking over and exploding another two clones in that projectory, all the while giggling obscenely at whatever he found amusing on the page he was reading. He landed, crouching low on the ground to avoid a kick above him, dodged a second frontal assault by another clone and was about to roundhouse kick another one when his his movements were stopped. Eyes wide, both Sakura and Kakashi looked behind to see that Naruto had made one of his clones taller and locked Kakashi's arms back by the underarms.

 _Not only has he created solid clones but layered a henge on top of it to change the clone's height?!_

"Gotcha! Finally time for some payback!" Naruto crowed as another one of his orange doppelgangers rushed up, fist cocked back and ready to launch straight into Kakashi's stomach. The Jounin struggled but to no avail and fist met stomach.

Only for the prisoner to poof out of existence, replaced by Naruto's own clone.

"Wha-!"

"It's me, Boss, so knock it off and release me, 'ttebayo!"

"No you have to be Kakashi-sensei playing a stupid henge trick on me!" Sakura sensed the real Naruto's chakra fluctuate with irritation and launched a punch at the restrained clone.

"Wait! I'm not Kakashi-sen-"

The clone poofed out of existence and in a span of a few seconds, the clones and the real Naruto devolved into arguing with each other trying to oust a Kakashi who was not there.

Sakura was extremely nervous now. Just where was Kakashi now?

"Behind you."

She whirled around just in time to see Kakashi land silently in front of her and smile.

"Shinobi rule number nine-"

"Always be aware of your chakra to prevent giving yourself away to the enemy. I should have noticed."

Kakashi smiled a little more genuinely in surprise before it morphed into a wicked grin.

"At least you are quickly aware of your own flaws unlike Naruto here, who didn't even realize what gave him away. Now for your lesson: Genjutsu. How well will you take this?"

Next thing she knew, she was engulfed in a whirl of leaves she had to shield her eyes against. When the wind finally died down and she dared to take a peek, she screamed in terror, watching as her parents, Itachi, Shisui, Kakashi, Naruto and Sasuke crumbled into a giant heap, mutilated- dead and dying from an all-consuming fire that grew quickly.

"NO!"

 _ **How dare he! This is a Genjutsu, you fool! We won't be consumed by it!**_

That voice again.

She felt her chakra spike involuntarily and soon her world turned black…

For a brief moment.

When she felt aware of herself again, it was like she had been dunked head first into a pool and denied permission to come back out- or be able to do anything except to breathe. It frightened her and in looking around, she found herself huddled behind yet another bush and this time, across from the pond. She didn't remember getting there.

 _Inner! What's going on?! How did I end up here?!_

 **What are you talking about?! You broke the genjutsu rather quickly, threw the kunai with smoke tags at him and ran! That was one hell of a Genjutsu he threw at us! How do you not even remember that?!- That was a pretty good move by the way!**

 _B-but I really don't remember! I swear! There was that voice I heard from before again and my chakra spiked without me meaning to! After that my vision went black for a while and it felt like someone pushed me into depthless body of water. I couldn't see or hear anything that went on-_

 **Alright, would you quit with the panicking right now? Take a deep breath and calm down; going into hysterics right now is not helping anyone. How about this- we focus on finishing this stupid test already and we'll analyze whatever the heck you experienced when we have alone time.**

 _I- okay. Okay, but I need to get this solved. I need to know what's going on!_

 **Deal. Now, we do realize that there's no way of going up against Kakashi-sensei on our own, right?**

Sakura swallowed thickly and did her best not to shudder at the fear she had felt upon being aware of herself again, for the sake of analyzing her current situation.

 _We're left with only one option- we need to work with the others. If we team up with the other's then we just might be able to give ourselves the opening to grab for the bells!_

Sakura quickly got up and ran back into the woods again, this time making sure she was always in control of her suppressed chakra and aware of her surroundings at the same time. She soon spotted Naruto once again, due to his bright orange sweat-jacket. He was swinging upside down with a rope wrapped tightly around half his body and legs like a spider's prey caught within the web.

"Ah Sakura-chan!", he wiggled futilely against his restraints, "Help me down, pleeease! I can't move a finger at all!"

"How did you even end up tied like that?!" She quickly made to approach the tree when she halted again, inspecting the immediately area for traps and hidden projectile mechanisms.

"Huh, what are you doing Sakura-chan?" He wriggled a little more, making him sway in a wider arch and knocked himself into the tree trunk. "Ack! Please hurry, I'm getting too dizzy here…."

The pinkette sped up once again when she was sure there were extra traps. "Then stop wriggling around! Moving around will just make your heart pump more blood up to your head and make you dizzier."

She quickly withdrew a shuriken, muttering an urgent, "Prepare to flip and land carefully!", and proceeded to cut the rope.

"Omph!"

"You're not hurt are you?" She crouched in front of Naruto and inspected him carefully, who in turn grinned sheepishly at her.

He shook his head. "Nah, I'm okay! Man, that was close I almost wanted to hurl the breakfast you gave me and that would be a waste! And you're so smart!"

"How did you end up hanging upside down?"

"Oh!" He spun around looking around near the base of the tree trunk, only to turn disappointedly back to face Sakura. "I saw a bell on the floor! Stupid Kakashi-sensei must have dropped it when I was fighting with him! I almost had him hah!"

Sakura rapped her knuckles against his head lightly.

"You know he tricked you by laying an obvious trap as an accidental slip up, right? He's a _Jounin_ , Naruto-kun. We have to remember that despite his laid back attitude, he survived both the Third Shinobi War and the Kyuubi Incident. There's no way he's weaker than us."

Naruto flinched visibly but Sakura thought he reacted due to her reprimand. She sighed and held out a hand for him to grab and lift himself off the floor. Naruto reached out with relief and dusted off his clothes once they were both back on their feet.

"Then what do you think we should do, Sakura-chan?"

"If we can't fight and win against him on our own, then we have to fight together."

She looked to him, "We need to work together to hold him down long enough and make a grab for the bells."

"Heck yeah! Let's kick his as- uh rear end together!" He pumped his fist into the air and was ready to launch into a random direction.

"Wait! We have to get Sasuke-kun too if we want to gain a better advantage." She grabbed Naruto's arm.

He scrunched up his face at the dark-haired boy's name. "Why would we need him anyway? The stupid idiot- didn't you see how he's been acting like an ass since he's come back?! I'm not going to be nice about it when it comes to him, Sakura-chan.

"I know and see how he's looking at you and how he's treating you like you're his worst enemy", he continued before Sakura could get a word in. "If he wasn't a dumb prick before, he definitely is now!"

She yanked him forward anyways, pulling him away from the clearing and back into the wooded areas. "First of all, no need to project your voice so loudly, Naruto-kun. We are still in the middle of the test no matter how you dislike Sasuke-kun's behaviour. Second, thank you for being angry for me."

The blond boy relaxed his previously tensed muscles, embarrassed at having forgotten their circumstance as well as Sakura's expressed gratitude.

"Third, despite how Sasuke-kun's been acting, we still need to work with him." He scowled, but the girl plowed onwards. "You're really good at long-ranged fighting, Naruto-kun, as well as setting traps and doing things on the spot. I'm good with planning strategy as well as setting traps. Sasuke-kun, on the other hand, is more well-rounded than us and can do well in close-ranged combat. We need that in order to get up close to the bells and take them. We need to work together for this. A single piece of straw will break easily, but a handful tied together is near unbreakable."

Naruto fell silent and seemed to contemplate the idea with a solemnity she rarely saw in him. "What about the bells? There's still only two. Who will get them after we win? Sasuke-teme is definitely going to demand one."

"Don't worry about that. I will figure out a way. Do you trust me, Naruto-kun?"

"Of course I do!"

She nodded. "Then trust me in this and let's go find Sasuke-kun… And don't our friend names no matter how he acts, Naruto-kun."

He grumbled but acquiesced to the quiet admonishment. "Fine. But don't think I'm just going to let him get away with his stupid attitude problem."

"I know. I don't plan on it either…"

.

11

.

Finding Sasuke with only his head visible above ground was certainly not something Sakura expected to see. She couldn't decided whether she should feel horrified at his predicament or fulfill his expectations by the way he glared crossly, and join Naruto in laughing, albeit not as boisterously. Of course the blond wasn't going to allow the Uchiha boy to save face, but Sakura decided she shouldn't cause Sasuke to hate her even more and elbowed Naruto none too gently.

"Don't you forget, you were hog-tied upside-down to a tree because you fell for an obvious trap, Naruto-kun."

Said boy choked on his saliva and promptly cut his laughing short.

"Come on, help me get him out."

"I don't need your help!" Sasuke hissed in a way Sakura could only compare to an indignant cat after being dunked in water.

"Yes, you do, Sasuke-kun," she whispered firmly, already taking out a kunai and a few small exploding tags as she walked briskly towards his buried figure, "unless you plan on staying buried up to your neck underground with dust mites, earthworms and other unknown bugs possibly crawling up your shirt and in your hair."

The pinkette almost heard the boy's jaws click shut at the mention of the tiny critters and smiled. "Don't worry, we're getting you out."

Sasuke ground his teeth. "I am _not worried._ " He shot the handful of small exploding tags in Sakura's hand a wary glower. "What do you think you're doing with explosive tags?"

"They're not very powerful- I'm just going to use them to loosen the soil trapping you," Sakura dug a crescent-shaped, narrow shaft a short distance behind the trapped boy and strategically placed the the tags inside as she explained. "You should recognize that these are the academy standard issues we used when we first learned chakra ignition and distance chakra control in the advanced class."

"Wha-?! You guys were in that advanced class, dattebayo?!"

"Quiet down, Naruto-kun! But yeah, that's why we got out late once a week back then. Now close your eyes, Sasuke-kun. Naruto-kun, get ready to help pull him out once the soil is cleared from behind." Sakura clasped her hands in a single seal, "katsu!"

The soil around the shaft flew up as the encasing behind Sasuke collapsed backwards. Naruto immediately went over and helped heave the black-haired boy out of the pit, who snatched his arms away once he was on solid ground again.

Naruto grumbled irritably as he watched Sasuke dust himself off as if he hadn't been neck deep a second ago. "At least be a lil' nicer when we helped ya out, ya stic'n the mud, dattebayo."

Sasuke shot him a glare but Sakura cut him off before an argument occurred.

"Now's not the time to be bickering, Sasuke-kun, Naruto-kun." She turned imploringly at her estranged friend, " Sasuke-kun, we have to work together. It's the only way to get the bells from Hatake-sensei; you tried getting them on your own, Naruto-kun tried as well. On our own, as fresh academy graduates, there's no way we can go against him that easily, no matter how weak he looks."

"And what do you suggest we do once we get the bells, huh?" Sasuke snapped, "are you suggesting that you're willing to step down and give me a bell? It seems you forget we only have two bells and one of us has to lose."

"I know that, Sasuke-kun," irritation beginning to color her voice- time was running out and so was her patience in having to convince him, "and I have thought about how to solve this dilemma. Hear me out and you decide for yourself. If in the end, my plan falls through, then I'll forfeit my bell." _Afterall, I don't think I'm safe for them anymore, if that lapse in memory serves to prove anything. It might not be the last time this will happen and then what will happen if I can't remember what I did during a mission? I'll be a liability and a potential hazard!_

Sasuke scrutinized her before narrowing his eyes. "Fine. I'll hear you out, but you better hold to your promise that I'll get a bell in the end."

The girl could only smile sadly, uttering a soft, "when have I ever told you a lie?"

Moments later found the three huddled in an underbrush, Kakashi standing in the middle of the clearing before them in an utterly bored manner with his book in hand. Sakura looked towards the two boys and nodded. Both returned the gesture and scurried silently off in different directions while she herself began preparing more explosive tags, waiting for when the right signal was given.

Not a half minute later, a horde of Naruto clones swarmed out from Kakashi's left, charging at their maybe-sensei with a battlecry and began to engage the Jounin in a bout of clumsy taijutsu. Of course, Kakashi didn't have too much of a hard time, despite the unpredictability of a massive amount of Naruto's he was fighting, by taking advantage of the uncoordinated kicks and fists. He often dodged, sliding in and out of attacks to make the attempted hits land on other clones instead. Basically speaking, he didn't need to hit a single one to get rid of them.

Just as the numbers dwindled down the multitudes of Naruto clones jumped back a space and began the rapid signs for a fire jutsu, all of them shouting the name as the last sign fell into place.

"Fire style: Goukakyuu no jutsu!"

 **To the right, four o'clock!**

Sakura immediately threw a few of the tags she had tied to kunais, calculating the direction, wind direction and timing of when the tags would land as she felt the faint chakra flare of Kakashi doing a substitution to escape the fiery furnace. The force of the exploding tags didn't amount to much, but the effect was still the same as she heard Kakashi utter a muffled curse and she quickly got up to swiftly move to another location.

Sakura had, with the help of Naruto's experience as a veteran prankster, set up a wired trap around the edges of the the clearing with the aim of forcing Kakashi to back into it no matter the direction. As long as he was backed away from the center, the trap would be triggered. The only thing now though, is to make sure he was preoccupied enough with everything the boys were throwing at him that he wouldn't see the trip wires- and to make sure Naruto didn't trip them himself in the midst of his over enthusiasm.

She watched as Naruto and Sasuke, blended in the mass of clones began to push Kakashi closer to the the traps at a slow but steady pace, unrelenting and as ferocious as twelve-year olds could possibly dish out against a Jounin. And the fine hairs at the nape of her neck began to stand.

 _Is it supposed to be that easy, cornering Hatake-sensei?_

 _ **Wouldn't you like to know?**_

Sakura flinched just as the wires of the trap were tripped and Kakashi was caught in the wires' deceptively delicate but razor sharp embrace. Naruto roared in victory, ready to rush over and pull the bells off of Kakashi's belt, but a sudden gentle wave of chakra spread across the area, Kakashi being the epicenter, and caught Naruto and Sasuke off guard. Both faces twisted into horror and they fell into a boneless heap on the ground. Once more, Kakashi did a quick substitution in which this time, to Sakura's horror, was without seals. Even as she immediately began the signs for a substitution herself to get her teammates and release the genjutsu, Kakashi was behind her again in the next second.

"Hmm… not a bad plan for starters, but when you set a trap so thoroughly that retrieving an item from the ensnared enemy for your mission may potentially harm you or your own teammates…. Your second lesson- knowing yourself and your enemy is the first step to winning a battle. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses in your army as well as your enemy's is what may win you the war."

Sakura whirled around to face Kakashi for the second time of the day and this time without the backup she had planned. As if reading her mind, Kakashi raised his eyebrow and smiled mockingly, "Another advise. Just because you thought you had a brilliant plan in mind, doesn't mean that guarantees success. Plans should always have backup plans and backup plans should always have backup plans. Simply put, always expect the unexpected and be prepared for it; now, you'll have to face the consequences by fighting me alone."

He pulled out a kunai and skillfully twirled it in his hands as if taunting her. The tingling feeling of apprehension raced across her skin, eliciting beads of cold sweat to form on her face and neck as she pulled back shakily into the standard academy taijutsu.

 _How am I supposed to do this on my own?!_

 _ **Are you afraid? Such a weak minded person you are…**_

 _Who are you?! Inner, are you there?!_

 _ **Don't bother, she has been rendered dormant. What use is she but a disabled commentator- nothing but empty words without the means to put them in action.**_

Kakashi came at her quicker than she could really follow, though she was sure he wasn't at full speed. She prayed in her head as she tried to rely on the hard work she put into practicing taijutsu and being tutored by Sasuke. She knew there was no way she could win against Kakashi, however.

 _I'm going to lose if I keep this up!_

She blocked a kunai but another one sliced through her sleeve, cutting the skin at her shoulder and leaving a steady trickle of blood running down her arm. Her heart thumped even more when she tried to throw him off with a dozen shuriken as she tried to get closer to her teammates. She ran as soon as the weapons were out of her hands, fingers scrambling to keep herself from slipping on roots and leaves. But no sooner had she turned in one direction, he was in front of her and Sakura barely ducked the punch he aimed at her face only to land almost face first on the floor when he tripped her. She quickly rolled away from a kick aimed for her stomach, scrambling to her feet and continued to run. Of course she didn't get far before Kakashi grabbed her left arm and twisted it behind her back rather roughly. She winced.

"Is this the extent of the abilities you have- what the academy taught you guys?" Kakashi said lightly, disappointment drenching his voice. "If this is what this sorry excuse of a team is going to be like, then I might as well not continue this farce and just fail all of you and send you back to the academy. Better that you are shamed forever and alive than becoming Genin only in title and die off like flies when you get slightly harder missions."

He tightened his grip on her arm, eliciting a whimper from her and Sakura felt him glare at the back of her head. "This is the reality of this world, Sakura. No matter how peaceful the villages seem to be with each other, there is no such thing as true peace and therefore, we exist. That means, if this is what you call 'ready to be official soldiers of this village', then don't bother- none of you. You all fail."

 _No! No, I can't let that happen! I promised Sasuke-kun and Naruto-kun that I will at least make sure they become who they deserve to be! Even if it's not me-_ _even if it's not me!_

A quiet, dark voice caressed her left ear. _**As you wish.**_

Sakura suddenly felt her muscles relax within her instead of straining painfully against the harshness of Kakashi's grip. Then it was as if she was sent plummeting into the deep depths of the sea, suspended in time- suspended in nothingness. And she knew she could never be normal again.

.

11

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 **A/N: Wow, I feel like I haven't updated in forever! I hope I haven't caused too many people anxiety over it… Hahaha**

 **So I know this chapter is shorter than the ones I usually write and in fact, I had planned on completing the whole test thing within a chapter, but I thought it would be interesting to end the chapter here instead and change up how I would finish of the test compared to how I wanted it at first.**

 **I would like to thank those who reviewed the last chapter and so many things I agree with, especially Forest.N!**

 **MerryKitten: Thank you for your review! I love Shisui and Itachi a lot and they were and still are a few of my favorite characters in canon and often times, I feel like they are underused…. They have a higher purpose here in this story and I hope it comes out the way I planned and envisioned it! Hope you are willing to continue to support me and give me feedback!**

 **Scarease: Thank you for your compliments and offer! I'm glad the chapters came out as intense as I envisioned it to be.**

 **: haha, Sasuke can be an idiot sometimes and in a way, he reflects a more childish demeanor than Naruto and Sakura because in a way, he was relatively more sheltered than the other two. But of course, I don't plan on making Sasuke continue being an idiot. If he was to continue this way, I'd be tempted to go into the story and throttle him myself. Hahaha**

 **Forest.N: Thank you for writing so many reviews! Like you, when I finished writing chapter 3, I really wanted to cuddle him in my arms. Sometimes, I don't even know where I get these kinds of ideas, writing such melancholic and sad scenes. I always have to prepare a box of tissue next to me when I do them and afterwards, I feel like sitting at a window and stare out of it like an old cat. Hahaha. My own cat does that often so I have a model to follow. XP I also laughed at how you described Sasuke as funky and yes he can be. As long as he remains just funky and not go past being a bit more sulky into being a complete stick in the mud. Hopefully by the end of the next chapter, something will change for him- for the whole team!**

 **Thank you all for your wonderful reviews and for liking and following this story! I will be updating this story again as soon as I can! I will soon be posting the next chapter of my other story TBF and I hope you all will be willing to support me there too! Hope you all have a wonderful and happy new year!**

 **Adieu et avec beaucoup d'affection,**

 **Hitori no kage**


	13. 12: Painful Metamorphism

**A/N: Hi! Unlike before, I decided to address some questions a reviewer posted here at the beginning instead of at the end. I found that some may be feeling a bit confused if not downright worried about some of the characters, therefore, I'd like to appease some of these worries despite the fact that this might spoil the story a bit.**

 **InARealPickle: Now now… your words in your last two reviews sting me. Ye of little faith! For one, I haven't forgotten their ages and that they are still seven or eight years old. I follow canon slightly because of their general personalities, they were bound to react no different from when they were twelve in canon. Naruto with his stubbornness and defiance, and Sasuke with his quick-to-jump-to-conclusions and guilty-until-proven-innocent approach to things around him. Sakura here, however, is definitely not canon!Sakura as she's certainly not fangirling nor is she clingy. But between being with Naruto, her psych beginning to split, her emotional trauma over the incidents that happened being compartmentalize and her training with Kagomori-san, she will come off as more assertive knowing she can't be weak anymore, yet withdraw into herself when she thinks she failed in something or someone. (Meanwhile, the details will come out slowly about what transpired at the introduction. Patience please! ^ ^). Of course, personalities will develop and dynamics between them will change as they spend more time with each other as a unit instead of the rushed job Kakashi made of them, pushing them into the Chunin exams like he did in canon.**

 **The bell test is a necessity and scenes still loosely follow canon because that was the way he tested whether the three are worthy of being Genin. But this time, he's less laid back than in canon, such as him not waiting in the clearing like in canon. Canon!Kakashi was really trying to test out their teamwork to the point he gives them a second chance; here, he is trying to find any means not to take on Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke specifically. The series of events in the test itself is different such as the fight scene with them as a combined force, though there are a few similarities due to naivety. Kakashi for all it's worth, still cares about them inside and won't truly want to hurt them but still wants to teach them a lesson about overestimating themselves and being careless, all the more so since they're even younger than in canon and inexperienced. Thus, is it so surprising that some events coincide? I don't think so. Of course, Sakura is more wary and aware of her mental instability, the splitting of her mind and the vulnerability this presents if she can't prevent being subsumed. Sasuke is still easily angered by what he doesn't understand but is more likely to work with them here than in canon as he isn't blinded by hatred itself nor by the raw thirst for revenge. Naruto is more likely to help out as well because all three had a previously established friendship- no matter how annoyed and frustrated he feels with Sasuke's arseholery, he'll be quiet about it until an opportune time comes for him to confront it with Sasuke (also because he listens to Sakura).**

 **As a writer, I always hold an expectation for myself, as well as for my readers. Me, to be able to write with a flow and as much clarity as can be without giving too much away- this story is part political intrigue and mystery after all; there are things that can't be revealed immediately. For readers, it is that they be patient with the story development, give me critique. But I ask that you put more faith in writers, instead of putting out subtly sarcastic accusations that I don't remember what age the characters are in my own plotline. I'm sure I'm not that old and confused.**

 **By the way, I mentioned at the end of the last chapter (I hope you read it instead of skipping. There's a reason why A/N exists ^ ^), Itachi and Shisui are my favorite characters as well and was upset (exponentially!) that they weren't developed as they should be in canon. I never wrote in the story that they did or didn't die. Kakashi was being his depressed self and assuming they'd be dead since legally, if they can't find them within a certain amount of time, they'll be PRESUMED dead, written off as KIA. This happens in the real world, no? Ahh, you made me ruin some of the mystery…**

 **For those who will review and have previously reviewed, I thank you all and cherish your comments. My hope is to use your critiques to improve, so that you may enjoy high quality writing. If there are any misunderstandings and confusion about the story you are free to ask, kindly please, and I'll be more than happy to answer and clarify for you. I'm pretty sure I did just that not long ago for another reviewer who was confused and asked about Kizashi's role, not outright question my ability.**

 **Sorry for the super long A/N, everyone! I hope I haven't frightened anyone from continuing to read, and I hope I have answered these doubts as professionally as I hoped to. In the future, I hope to bring you well written chapters and stories that all can enjoy. All other reviews, I will address at the end of this chapter since I don't want to hold you off anymore. So please enjoy!**

Chapter 12: Painful Metamorphism

Sasuke passed by the Uchiha compound with a subdued expression and a humiliating red, swelling cheek. It still rankled him to have had a talking to by Sakura and Naruto, of all people, after their bell test when they cornered and confronted him. The confrontation nearly spiralled into an all out brawl, but luckily with Sakura being the relatively calmer one, she made sure to mediate between the two boys.

He was still angry and confused as hell at everything that happened in the last two months: angry over his missing brother and annoying cousin, his father in a coma, his mother forbidden to see him as she was under strict house arrest until further notice. Angry at Sakura for her father, confused as well over his last sacrifice- he had been separated from the group heading for shelter and watched at a distance in horror as Sakura's father was killed protecting her mother. So does that make him bad or was he a good person?

Sasuke shook his head. He was angry at everything that happened and it was tempting to blame Sakura's parents, Sakura by association and Naruto just for being a loud headache in the middle of it all. He'd certainly heard enough rumours about the pinkette's family while he tried to find ways to see his father and mother.

He sighed, thinking of the many empty homes in the compound, while others held his surviving relatives under strict surveillance until the everything settled down and the security of the village was assured. He himself was assigned an apartment outside of the compound under watch. It definitely didn't help his mood, even more so now that he knew the police force headquarters will be empty and abandoned.

Sakura. There was something peculiar about her. He didn't remember what happened during a part of the bell test but he was sure it was a genjutsu (something he could have completely avoided if he had his full sharingan!). When the genjutsu was released, he found himself being dragged by the arm along with Naruto away from the clearing, Sakura's expression blank. They had then tried a second round of group effort after Sakura calmly assured them of success, in which Naruto played distraction, as well as trap setting instead of Sakura, while the other two went up close. Sasuke would keep Kakashi busy and Sakura would assist and try to make a grab for the bells. She had only managed to swipe a hand across them before she was kicked back several feet, skidding across the floor before stopping.

 _Sasuke turned a frustrated glare at Sakura as she got up from the ground, a hand gingerly wrapped around her middle and friction burns all over her arms. She'd said that this time for sure, they'd be able to win and get the bells!_

 _Sasuke's inner rant was stopped short when the girl suddenly gave her free hand a rough yank and next thing everyone knew, they watched a pair of bells soar quickly through the air and into her hands, wires looped securely through the bells. She smirked, something the Uchiha didn't think she would do, watching Kakashi look down at his belt where the bells had been with surprise in his eye. She swayed on her feet and Naruto quickly rushed to her to support her left side._

 _Kakashi recovered himself and straightened out just as the alarm rang. "Well, good job Sakura. Sasuke, Naruto, you don't have a bell, so what does this say about you both?"_

 _Sasuke was about to snarl in betrayal at the pink hair girl he once grudgingly thought of as a maybe, possible, perhaps, probable friend, but Sakura cut him off._

 _"Sasuke, come here." Sasuke stiffened, well aware that she suddenly didn't use the endearment she always attached to his name, even when he kept glaring at her upon his return. What was she going to do? He thought warily._

 _His question was answered when she threw a bell at him, which he deftly caught and she passed the other bell to Naruto._

 _"This is the answer, Hatake-sensei." Sakura turned to Kakashi, her expression blank as ever and Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "Your specific instruction was to 'get the bells', not to have them after the alarm rings. So there you go- we each technically got the bell once. We should pass then, right?"_

 _Kakashi was speechless for a moment before sighing. "It seems you read into what I said too literally. Technically, you all would pass. But we don't talk about technicalities as shinobi. On actual missions, there is only permanence and an absolute surety that the mission is a success. In this case, there can be only two outcomes: one, Sakura fails because by the end of this test, she is the only one who doesn't have a bell; or two, you all fail."_

 _Naruto sputtered in protest immediately. "No, ya can't fail all of us! That's not fair, 'ttebayo! We did get the bells in the end like ya wanted us to!"_

" _So then your decision is option one then?" There was a calculative gleam that appeared in Kakashi's eyes and disappeared just as quickly._

 _Naruto grew red in the face before shouting, "NO! Not that either, dattebayo!"_

" _Why should any of us fail in the first place?" Sasuke scowled. "She got the bells directly from you and by the end of the test we have the bells."_

" _First off, do you even know why we sensei hold tests like these even after the graduation exam?"_

" _Didn't you already tell us? You said it was to really see if we could be Genin, 'ttebayo!"_

" _And what is required of Genin that you see tested in here?" Kakashi crossed his arms in front of his chest in a patient manner._

 _The three children fell silent as they racked their brains for an answer and when the silence became prolonged, the young man could only sigh in exasperation._

" _It's teamwork, you twerps, teamwork." He looked at each one in the eye. "The basic foundation we begin emphasizing when you become Genin is the practice of teamwork and cooperation, flexibility to work with others despite any differences you may have. In fact, to use these differences to your advantage. If you paid close attention to the Genin formation, they are always a team of three, including their sensei, four. Have you ever seen an exception to that? From there when they get to Chunin and Jounin, they are often placed into teams of two and three- sometimes on rotations- depending on the mission status and again, they have to have teamwork that lasts them for more than one mission."_

 _Kakashi pointed at Sakura. "You were closest to finding out that concept and in a way, you made for the right direction but with totally wrong reasons. You bribed them into cooperating with you but that can only work so many times. You don't have their trust and if something dangerous happens during an actual mission with people you could only gain on your side through bribes, will you be willing to trust that they'll have your back without knowing whether they can benefit from it or not? That's why you fail."_

 _Sakura's eyes widened and she swayed backwards slightly with a hand to her head. But Kakashi didn't seem to notice this time for he had already turned his gaze onto Sasuke._

" _You on the other hand refused help from your own allies because of your pride issues and because you only cared about the benefits- selfish. In the real world, you would have caused the deaths of the whole entire team. You would have been killed with the team's blood on your hands- such kinds of stubborn pride has no place on a team That's why you fail._

" _And Naruto, though you ended up working with them, you were also against it when Sakura first proposed the idea to you. If she hadn't approached you, you would have tried to continue solo without a second thought- single-minded without an attempt at flexibility. Stubborn to a fault. If I don't fail you guys, then I might as well allow all academy students to automatically become Genin. As a matter of fact, I didn't approve of the early graduations."_

" _Your analysis is not quite accurate, if I may be so bold, Kakashi-san." Sakura's quiet objection cut Kakashi off and the three watched as the only female in the group looked up at the Jounin. Sasuke noticed a change in her demeanor once again, the angles on her face softened and her eyes alert. And she had gone from addressing Kakashi as a sensei to just a regular suffix. Was she giving up? His eyes narrowed fractionally at that thought. For some reason, it upset him._

" _In the end Sasuke-kun and Naruto-kun would have been willing to work together- it was only a matter of time when they realize they would need to work with each other. Naruto-kun can be stubborn but he is willing to consider the other person and teamwork when he sees that it is necessary for the sake of everyone and knowing what's at stake. Sasuke-kun may seem calculative but he isn't exactly like that. He still cares about other people and would have been willing to work with Naruto even if he doesn't say it out loud. And from what you said, Genin teams are where they begin to learn how to refine teamwork to be even more flexible so you aren't looking for perfect teamwork skills."_

" _And where are you placed within this spectrum?"_

 _Sakura smiled sadly as she walked a little closer to Kakashi and bowed. "As for me, I will take option one, if the choices you placed before us are the only ones available. They deserve to become shinobi and like you said, they physically have the bells- I don't."_

" _What?! No way, Sakura-chan! Don't go! I-if you leave, then - then I'll leave too!" Naruto threw down the bell in a fit and walked over to the girl and grabbed her hand. She jerked back in surprise but soon relaxed a little and returned the grip, eyes glossy with emotion._

" _But Naruto-kun, I-"_

" _Hn, it'd be stupid if I'm the only one left without a team and I-" He paused with a slight grimace before he whispered the last words, "I don't trust my back with anyone but-but these two after all." He carelessly flung his bell onto the floor and moved to stand next to Naruto, ears red and hands shoved forcefully into his pockets._

 _An elderly man's chuckle filled the area and all four turned in the direction of the sound, watching in awe as the Sandaime himself walked into the clearing. Kakashi's hands clenched once and relaxed, shoulders slumping in resignation._

" _It's seems there is great potential for teamwork here, Kakashi-kun. I'd say they pass, don't you think?"_

 _Kakashi protested weakly. "Hokage-sama!"_

" _Jiji!" Naruto threw his arms around the Older man. "For real?! Really really?!"_

" _Hokage-sama, how-"_

 _The Sandaime chuckled and held up a hand. "I am making rounds to see how the tests are coming along. You young Jounin sure come up with some very interesting ways to test your teams. I happened on your conversation and I find that the points you made very true, Kakashi-kun." He looked at each of the children in turn, "Teamwork is the very foundation of all that is taught to Shinobi of our village. Each of the wars we won have always been because of this very concept. Today, you may have managed to get the bells because of a compromise, but it may not always work, nor would I hope for you to solely rely on it- especially with your own allies. Know when it is appropriate to bribe and when not to- towards your own teammates is not an option. If you have issues you need to settle, then settle them before it affects your performance and your team's safety on a mission._

" _However, as I said, they do have the potential for great teamwork, especially when they have a previous friendly history with each other." He looked kindly at Kakashi. "The final decision is still up to you, however. But I would definitely look forward to their progress with your guidance."_

 _Sandaime patted Naruto's head gently, who absorbed the affection with great joy, before he turned to leave, "Well, it's time for this old man to check on the others before returning to the enemies sitting on my desk. Have fun."_

" _Wow… " Sakura whispered._

 _Naruto could only allow a grin that nearly split his chin from the rest of his face appear. "I know! Jiji's awesome like that sometimes, though he gets weird when reading those hidden pervy books of his."_

 _Kakashi sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Well then…" All three children looked back towards him, anticipating his final verdict. "If Hokage-sama seems to see such potential in you, then what can I say?"_

 _His face became stern. "You may have passed by the skin of your teeth, but that doesn't mean I'll be easy on you. There is much you need to learn in order to use that potential. If I find that you aren't taking this seriously, I mean what I said before- I'd rather make you quit even in disgrace than die pathetically in battle. I am not about to have children like you die needlessly out there. It's not fun and games anymore."_

" _Then- then that means we pass, 'ttebayo?!"_

 _It seemed Naruto bypassed all the serious talk._

 _Kakashi sighed heavily. "Yes, you all passed…"_

 _Naruto cheered while Kakashi groaned. Sasuke smirked and looked towards Sakura. His smirk slowly dropped into a light frown when he saw that she looked anything but happy. In fact, she looked troubled. Why on earth-?_

" _Alright, pipsqueaks. You are to meet here at seven tomorrow morning. And you all had better be on time because things will get serious and training will begin. If you guys are not here on time, you WILL be punished for disobeying orders. I will know. Dismissed." The silver-haired Jounin disappeared in a puff of smoke._

 _Naruto whirled on Sasuke immediately, finger pointing accusingly at his face. "Alright! Jiji said it! What's up with yer stick'n the mud attitude, duck-butt teme?! What did Sakura-chan do to you to make you treat her so badly, dattebayo?! Sakura-chan has been nothin' but worried 'bout ya!"_

 _Sasuke glared at the blond. "Shut up! You don't know anything! I've heard the rumours about what was going on!" He glowered at Sakura, who flinched with a guilty look on her face. Sasuke inwardly winced at causing that reaction but he tamped down on it. If she looked guilty, then that means she knows what he's insinuating, right?!_

" _My aniki and cousin disappeared, maybe even died, because everything that happened, even to the civilians, somehow revolve around the mess your father has a hand in. If your father didn't do the stuff he did, then aniki and Shisui-nii would still be here with us!" He clenched his hands to keep them from shaking with emotion. "My father is in a coma, I'm barred from seeing a single one of my relatives, our compound is now their prison, and my mother isn't allowed to see me because she's being kept under watch- are you telling me I should just pretend to be happy when all this is your family's fault?!"_

 _Naruto flew at him and next thing he knew, Sasuke was flat on his back with pain blooming on his cheek and Sakura restraining Naruto with a frightened look._

" _Naruto-kun!"_

" _Shut up!" Sakura flinched thinking Naruto was yelling at her and nearly released the blond's arm but managed to hold on. "Just shut up, teme! YOU don't know anything! First of all, all ya heard were the damn rumours! I had ta live with rumours bein' made 'bout me, bout how people hated me and I re-resended that! I'm not 'bout to let rumours about Sakura get in the way of who I believe Sakura'n her family to be 'cause I sat with her before, I spoke with her, shared lunch! I believe not everything that's goin' round everyone's mouths are true. I trust her. And you?! First rumour ya hear'n ya believe in it, 'ttebayo! How stupid are you?!"_

 _Sasuke could feel himself bristle with indignance, ready to lunge at Naruto and tackle him to the ground. "Why you-!"_

" _Stop!" Sakura shouted. The two boys froze and the pinkette winced at her own out of character reaction."Stop…"_

" _I'm sorry for your situation, Sasuke-kun, you have to believe me on that. My- my father has wronged you in ways he never should and I don't know why he did the things he did. But he's- he's DEAD now." Her lips trembled and she had to take gasps of breath to continue speaking. Naruto intertwined his fingers with hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. "He's dead now."_

" _I can only apologize deeply in his place and pray that should he ever be reborn, he will pay for the sins he committed here in this life. My own mother is in a coma due to severe burns for which she will suffer for if she ever wakes up._

" _I'm am not trying to compare who is more pitiful, but I'm trying to say that I know very well how bad this situation is. You know by now that when we introduced each other on the roof that I no longer use the Haruno name. Naruto knows the reason, and now, so should you."_

 _She took a deep shuddering breath. "The civilian council has stripped away my family name, to be shamed forever as belonging to traitors. I am banned from ever using it. Now, I am a Kagomori, under the guardian who has custody of me and by will of my… former parent's family friend, whom my father is believed to have a hand in_ _killing_ _, I am to inherit his name and clan when I am of age._

" _Everything's a mess and nothing is making sense, Sasuke-kun- I want to know exactly what is going on as much as you do. The only way I can do that is if I am both heir to the association on the civilian side as well as a high ranking kunoichi on the shinobi side. And I will find out what's going on."_

 _She looked up at Sasuke, her eyes intense. "So will you please stop for a second and really think through what is true and what needs to be tested as truth? You don't have to forgive me or my family. But at least for the sake of whatever friendship we held before this happened, see me as you've always seen me and cooperate with me to find the truth?"_

 _Silence met them and for a while, Naruto and Sakura waited with baited breaths for Sasuke's answer._

" _You'll really dig through this to find out what the hell's going on?" Sasuke finally asked._

" _Yes, " Sakura said with conviction while Naruto finally remembered to breath, "I will or I will die trying." Naruto gave her sharp look but she ignored it in favor of continuing._

" _I will also find out what really happened to Itachi-san and Shisui-san. They said they never found their bodies so I will hold onto the hope that they are alive._ _They have to be."_ _Sakura gave Naruto's hand a hard squeeze._

" _Fine." Sasuke turned to leave. "Fine… I'll hold you to your promise… but_ _I will find out for myself what is truth and what are lies. I will see it for myself."_ _With that he left._

Sasuke rubbed gingerly at his cheek, facing his bathroom mirror. He had gone for the fridge to collect a bag of ice upon entering his spartan apartment. There had been a bag of groceries on the table when he entered- supplies allotted to him for the week. He scoffed. Like he was supposed to know what to do with the meats and the variety of vegetables they bought for him. He was a freaking eight year-old, for kami's sake.

He'd thrown them all in the fridge with a single shove before proceeding to the bathroom to survey his injury and sooth it with the bag of ice. Life was going to difficult from this point on, huh?

As angry as he was at the things his Aniki kept from him in the last few months, he really missed the consistency of his brother, his calm, his steadfast presence by his side. And his cousin, Shisui, as much as he was annoying, he could be depended upon to make the day brighter. It ached to know he'd have to deal with life without the two there, separated from his mother and father, from his relatives. It was frightening, if he had to admit it in his heart of hearts.

"Aniki, Shisui-nii, mother, father… what am I supposed to do?..."

.

12

.

 **You sure you're okay there?**

 _I… think so…_

Sakura closed her eyes, her head suddenly feeling like a ton of bricks yet at the same time, detached from her neck and shoulders. She had managed to finish a work dinner and Kagomori being as intuitive as can be, dismissed her to her room for the night. Her schedule would have to be worked out again to make sure she didn't fall behind in her studies while at the same time, meeting the requirements of her shinobi superior.

She ended up collapsing bonelessly on her bed feeling uncomfortably warmer than usual.

 **I think we have a fever… I feel really sluggish. And you were right, I don't know why I couldn't speak to you for a moment during your test. Then suddenly, the line was back and I felt aware. Did you get to see what happened?**

 _Yeah, sort of.. like I said, it was like being submerged into water, watching everything through a blurred haze but unable to do anything. Like seeing everything through the wrong prescription glasses._

 **We need to find out how this happens and what may cause it to become strong enough to take over. Did it introduce itself to you, something to address it by?**

 _No… But… I think it was because of my emotions. If- if my emotions or my thoughts falter then it will have the strength to overcome me…_

 **So in other words, you must always stay strong and never show weakness, even to yourself…**

Sakura rolled over onto her back and laid a limp arm over her eyes, letting even the sliver of light coming from her window be rejected by her limb.

 _Is this the only way I can stay sane on the outside? The only way I can live from now on?_

 **Sleep, Sakura.** Inner quietly said after a pause. **Your exhaustion is catching up to you… I'll be right here. We'll get through this.**

Inner stayed unusually silent after that and continued to do so for the rest of the night, as Sakura contemplated just what would be ahead in her future.

.

12

.

Sakura woke up early and arrived at the training ground with fifteen minutes to spare. Since she didn't have her lessons till the evening now, she took her time eating a light breakfast of toast, eggs and soy milk before heading out, carrying with her a new textbook on pre-shinobi history just in case their sensei decided to be late again.

It didn't take long before Sasuke walked into the field and saw her, large book propped on her lap as she sat cross legged under a tree. He walked over to her and a small smile of hope bloomed on her lips because he settled with sitting next to her, though with his back angled slightly towards her instead of side by side.

"Good morning, Sasuke-kun." She greeted quietly.

There was a quiet pause but her wait was worth it when he returned it with an awkward mutter of, "morning".

"Hmm." She hummed happily and resumed reading her book, content in the silence that followed as they both waited for their third teammate and Kakashi to arrive.

At seven on the dot, Kakashi appeared before them in a poof, his single eye scanning them with a blank expression. "So… where's Naruto?"

"I'm heeere! Sorry! I'm here!" Naruto came crashing in through the bushes surrounding the open field, sandals strapped halfway and hitai-ate slipping from his forehead, almost covering his left eye.

Sakura laughed softly.

 _If the hitai-ate falls anymore, he'll look like a Kakashi-sensei wanna-be._

It seemed she wasn't the only one thinking that way for Sasuke snorted softly before he sneered in the whiskered blond's direction, though there wasn't any true animosity behind his words. "Didn't know you were into cosplaying, though you got the color wrong. I don't see Kakashi-sensei wearing neon orange."

"Wha-?!"

Kakashi coughed roughly into his hand while Sakura burst into light laughter. Surprise didn't cover the fact that they heard uptight Sasuke actually making a joke.

Naruto sputtered when he finally understood what Sasuke was implying. "What?! Am not!" He screeched hotly, quickly righting his headband and strapping his sandals on properly.

"Alright, alright. As comical as it is, I think it's time to start. First things first, Naruto, you came in thirteen seconds late which means you disobeyed my orders. For punishment, you are to run ten laps around the clearing- no breaks."

Naruto was taken aback by the sudden punishment, leaving him gaping at their new sensei. "B-but I got here almost at the same time as when you got here!"

"If you counted, you would have known you got here thirteen seconds after I did. I got here at seven on the dot." Kakashi tilted his head to the side slightly, a fake, dangerous smile gracing his half hidden features. "I did warn you that I'll be taking this training seriously… unless you're telling me you aren't…?"

"N-no, uh yes, uh I'm taking it seriously, dattebayo!"

"Then get to it."

Naruto grumbled but went to do as he was told and Kakashi turned to the remaining two members of the team who had straightened up and stiffened.

"So, since I got to see and evaluate what all of you are capable of, we'll begin with three basic concepts before anything else: strength training, endurance and expanding on chakra control."

He lifted up three fingers and dropped his ring finger as he began to explain each of them. "Strength training: everyday we train here in this field, you will be required to do fifty pushups with an extra twelve kilograms on your body- three kilograms on each limb. You will be required to have the weights on at all times, even when you're sleeping. The only time when you can take them off is when you're showering or unless I specify it in the future."

Down went his middle finger. "Endurance: after your pushups, you will run eight laps around the clearing, fifty curl-ups, then forty chin-ups- all of these will be a part of your warmup at the beginning and to which I'll be adding more as we progress onwards. If there is a chance that team meetings are canceled, you are required to do them anyway. I _will_ know if you slack off.

"Finally, chakra control: since I know you've finished with the Leaf Adhesion Technique before you graduated from the academy, I will be introducing you to a new exercise to further hone your control."

"I'm done, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto came jogging back to the small group, a light sheen of sweat only beginning to form on his skin. Sakura and Sasuke looked on, slightly surprised that Naruto finished so quickly. Kakashi wasn't so surprised, however, only shrugging and curtly telling him to sit as well.

"Your teammates will fill you in on what I mentioned before, but as I was saying, I will be introducing a new chakra control exercise for you and that is Tree Walking."

"Come on, are you serious?!" Naruto exclaimed disbelievingly. "What's climbing trees got to do with anything?"

Kakashi shot the boy an irritated glare and sighed, walking up to the closest tree they weren't leaning on. "If you would just let me _finish_ explaining, you impatient runt." He placed a foot on the tree trunk.

" _This_ is what I mean by tree walking," then proceeded to literally walk up the tree without using his hands much to the three children's amazement.

"Whoa! How'd you do that, 'ttebayo?! I've always seen the other ninjas do that but never knew how they did it!"

"What are your thoughts and ideas on how this is possible?"

"Well you did say chakra, right?" Sasuke muttered more to himself than to Kakashi.

Kakashi rolled his eyes anyway. "Well duh. The question was directed at more of what you think the chakra is doing or how I am _using_ the chakra to make this happen."

"Like glue?" Sakura quietly suggested. "You're sending chakra to your feet and making it act like glue. It's just like the Leaf Adhesion Technique except that we're doing it the other way around. Instead of sticking something to you, you're sticking yourself onto something else."

Kakashi smirked with a gleam in eye and nodded, indicating for Sakura to continue.

"That also means… that the rules in the Leaf Adhesion Technique also applies here, right, Kakashi-sensei? Too little chakra and we won't stick to the surface and too much chakra will cause a rebound due to being repelled by natural chakra."

"Good explanation. This kind of conclusion should have come to all of you relatively quickly since I _was_ talking about chakra control exercises and hinting at the adhesion technique." Kakashi pushed off of the tree to land lightly on the ground again. "Now, each of you are to begin the warmups in the order I told you. Sakura, explain to Naruto while I take out the weights. Sasuke, come and get yours."

The next four hours went to doing the exercises and beginning on the Tree Walking Technique. By the time noon came, their limbs felt like they were overcooked limp udon as they dragged themselves into a corner to eat bentos Kakashi bought them while they were trying the chakra control exercise. Sakura had tried it twice- once because she underestimated the change in total weight after putting the weights on when calculating chakra input and promptly fell on her behind three feet off the ground. The second time, she was able to make it all the way up the top of her tree and back down, then jumped up by blasting small bursts of chakra from the soles of her feet, then changing the frequency immediately so she could flip and land feet first upside down under a branch ten feet above ground. She'd grinned excitedly while Naruto cheered in awe and Sasuke grumbled the word "show-off," petulantly- before she proceeded to slip from the sudden amount of blood rushing to her head and had to be caught by Kakashi. She was made to do another round of warmups as punishment.

When they finished lunch, Kakashi dragged them to the Hokage Tower's first floor missions desk to procure them a D rank while explaining how getting missions worked; C and D rank missions were to be handed out by the missions desk while B and some A ranks will have to be handed to them by the council of elders. The Hokage handled giving out A rank missions almost all the time due to the dangerous nature, sometimes also the B rank missions when special circumstances called for it- Anbu missions were solely under the Hokage's jurisdiction. After a mission is accomplished, a report has to be filed with the client's signature, and handed to the records desk- depending on the mission and the rank, there would also be a need to report to the Hokage for an oral post-mission debriefing.

They went through a total of four missions ranging from cleaning out the academy's dusty file room to helping harvest oranges off of trees in a farm. When training finally ended in the late afternoon, Sakura all but stumbled through her bedroom door, barely able to keep a straight posture on her way there; she still had an image she needed to keep in front of the ever gossiping servants. She didn't dare take a power nap knowing she immediately had to shower, change and rearrange herself to prepare for her lessons and work dinner, now scheduled to be every night unless Kagomori said otherwise. Only sheer stubbornness and fear of incurring Kagomori's ire helped her through lectures on foreign economics, management, another history lesson, etiquette and bank codes. If there was one thing Sakura was grateful for in having Inner, it was that she could compartmentalize all the information, to be replayed in her head during the day when she was more alert. This, she planned on doing when she went through her warmup exercises.

By the time she was allowed to rest in her room, it was close to midnight. She was out like a light when her head met the pillow.

.

12

.

"How are they?" A man's deep voice that resembled more like gravel rubbed together asked, the words echoing against the high ceiling and stone walls. The figure kneeling before him bowed his head lower.

"Both have finally been stabilized. The next procedure can be safely done in two days. They should largely recover and be ready for cleansing and physical reconditioning within the month."

"Good. They are to be kept under watch at all times. Store the results of the procedure in the lab archives with the Seal of the Seven Gates I gave you. They are all to be used as weapons of greatest potential for the benefit of this village. There must be no mistake or error in the procedure."

"As you will, so it will be."

"And our patient. How are his vitals?"

"The same as before. There are no changes or fluctuations and no signs of surfacing awareness. Physical fitness has dwindled only about three percent."

"Very well. Make sure to keep the atrophy down to a minimum. I still have use for him yet; he is not to waste away unless I command it so."

"As you wish, Master."

"You're dismissed."

"Hai. By your leave."

In the next half a second, the kneeling figure disappeared without a single trace. The man the figure had called Master was seated high at the front of the large cavernous room, as if he was a king, the daimyo of his own country. Only a few sparse candles lit the room, but apparently, it was enough for everyone who traversed this room to see. To lack this skill was deemed unacceptable by this man.

He sat in the silence, hands gripping the wooden, carved armrests, fingers tapping a non specific rhythm. A smile that was neither of happiness nor mockery formed slowly on his lips. It was perhaps a mix of bitterness, of heaviness and detachment from which the smile was born; even he could no longer describe what the purpose of the expression was for.

"For Konoha. For Konoha…," he breathed, wisps of white like clouds scattered by tumultuous winds escaping his lips in the cold air, floating away before disappearing into oblivion.

.

12

.

 **A/N: Thank you everyone who read this chapter! This one, the events span a particularly short time, I know. The next chapter should have more going on than here… I expect. Hahaha.**

 **Just a side note, the word 'resended' that Naruto says when arguing with Sasuke is on purpose. The word is supposed to be 'resented' but of course, this is Naruto and he is still learning. For an eight year old, I'm proud of him for even knowing the word existed. Hahaha**

 **Now to finish addressing some of the reviewers!**

 **Midnightdreams33: Thank you! I'm glad I'm back! I'm happy to hear that you like the fights and hopefully, I'll gain more knowledge and experience to write even better ones. In the future, please do continue letting me know what you think!**

 **Twisted Musalih: Thank you for your compliment! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well. I will work hard to bring all of you the next chapter as quickly as possible!**

 **Scarease: Take your time and if there are still some things that confuse you, don't hesitate to ask!**

 **Thank you all, who reviewed, favorited or followed this story! Each time I get the message from Fanfic automated message that someone did so gets me so happy and excited! I am, however, recovering from a recent illness which gave me a splitting headache due to oversensitivity to any sort of light, I was delayed by a day in writing this chapter and getting it posted. But no worries! I'll be up and about in no time! Yeah!**

 **Well, I hope you enjoyed this installment and I'll see you all next time!**

 **Adieu et avec beaucoup d'affection,**

 **Hitori no kage**


	14. 13: Of Blood and Sweat, and Rain

**A/N: Hey! I'm back and cheers to all who reviewed! And here's to another chapter for you guys! I have a newfound goal in upping the number of reviews to at least two hundred! Please do read and review! I truly appreciate your opinion and critique.**

 **Enjoy! I'm sure I don't need to add a disclaimer again, right? Hahaha**

Chapter 13: Of Blood and Sweat, and Rain

"Iruka-sensei, can I ask you something?", called the short pinkette, as she dashed from her seat towards the lectern where their teacher was standing, collecting his class materials. It was the end of the school day and the late summer heat was making it nigh impossible to tolerate the stifling classrooms. Children were all scrambling to go home after a long day of either sitting still in sweaty, wooden chairs, or being out doing the physical part of their training.

Sakura herself minded neither, despite sweat making her clothes cling to her uncomfortably. Her physical part of the ninja training was starting to catch up with her academic achievements and if she had to sweat bullets or shrivel up in the heat, she didn't care. Thanks to Sasuke and his brother, Itachi, she was able to finally put her intellectual understanding of taijutsu theory to proper use. And today, she achieved her greatest accomplishment of all- taking down several of her bullies in their friendly spar matches during taijutsu practice. Nearly everyone was surprised at her sudden improvements and agility.

Sasuke, of course, had not been surprised but smirked from ear to ear, mentally giving himself a good pat on the shoulder for a job well done in rehabilitating the clumsy girl into someone who could hold her own. This ought to help her keep the bullies at bay!

"Ah, Sakura-chan! Of course you can! How can I help you?" Iruka paused in his tidying and smiled kindly down at her smaller form.

"Um, well, you see…" She rubbed her clammy hands together behind her back, unsure how to approach the topic without making her questions seem out of the ordinary. For now, what she was looking into needed to be kept under wraps until she was sure of what she stumbled upon. "Do you have any books you recommend for studying plants?"

Iruka unconsciously tilted his head to the side thoughtfully, not really expecting her to ask such a random question that didn't pertain to the lessons he just taught. He'd initially assumed that she had finally had trouble with something, so he could be depended on at last. Of course it isn't, he thought wryly to himself, she had always been smart and never needed his help with the lessons.

"Hmmm, well, I can't recall any specific titles at the moment. What brought up the sudden interest?"

"I-it's for kunoichi classes and I know we'll be studying different types of flowers and plants to use in the future, so I thought maybe I should read ahead…"

"Ahh, I see. Any particular flower you're looking for, or a type of plant you plan on focusing on? Maybe I can ask around for you. You can also ask the librarian for help, you know."

"Yes, I know, Iruka-sensei. I was actually going to ask the librarian today, but I figured if you had a book in mind, I can ask the librarian to point it out to me and I can get the book faster that way."

Iruka smiled and patted her head fondly. Always so eager to learn, this one. If only her thirst for knowledge rubbed off on a particular knuckle-headed boy more… "Good thinking, Sakura-chan. So, any flower or plant name you have in mind? Or you just wanted to learn them all?", he teased.

His smile made her falter a little in guilt at her false reason.

"Atropa… belladona. Atropa belladona is one of the few I'm curious about."

"Oh! I think I mentioned it once before… About how they were one of the first plants to be used as an extracted poison for weapons. It was used in combination with other toxins, particularly during the First Shinobi World War. However, by the Second War, Tsunade-sama had begun to make herself known as a medic-nin and a poisons specialist. She came up with a revolutionary medical jutsu called the Extraction Technique as well as an antidote for the poison, which rendered belladona harmless and disused."

Sakura's eyebrows shot up. No wonder she thought the name was familiar! "Yes, I remember now! Thank you Iruka-sensei!"

He chuckled. "No worries. Well, if there are any books I think of, I'll be sure to tell you. I might even have a book or two on plants- if I do, I'll let you borrow them!"

"Thank you so much, Iruka-sensei!" She beamed happily at the new information as well as Iruka's kind nature. "I'll go home now! Have a nice afternoon!" She quickly rushed off for the entrance and Iruka smiled, watching through the window as she ran over to the Uchiha boy and the village's whiskered jinchuuriki's side.

It was good to see that Naruto finally had friends he could lean on, Sasuke looking less lonely, and Sakura… at that moment, she seemed much more like the eight year-old she should be, instead of the troubled aura she had about her the last two days.

Hopefully, everything would be alright with them soon.

.

13

.

Sweat was something Sakura was very familiar with- they were all familiar with.

 _But it doesn't really get any more comfortable to deal with now than when we first started,_ she thought, brushing away more away from her forehead before they trickled down into her eyes. The days were growing shorter and the temperature much colder now that they were heading into the winter season. _I'm just hoping our sweaty clothes don't cause us to catch a cold when we head back outside…_

She leaned back and listened to Naruto finish his side of the large barn and fall backwards onto the stack of fresh hay in the corner next to him, his loud groan of relief echoing against the high ceiling.

"Ahhh, we're finally done, dattebayo!"

Sasuke huffed and dained not to say anything. Instead, he walked tiredly over to the canvas sack hanging on the wall, fished out the towels inside and threw one to each of his teammates- smacking one in Naruto's face because he wasn't paying attention. Sakura laughed quietly and thanked Sasuke who nodded back.

"We're still not completely done yet, Sasuke-kun, Naruto-kun. We still have to lead the horses back into the right end of the barn, the ten cows to their stalls on the left here and the sheep to the area up front." Naruto groaned pitifully and Sakura gave him a sympathetic smile. "We'll really be done after that, though."

"Thank goodness we finished with the stupid chickens first though! Ugh, I swear there's chicken feathers still in my mouth!"

Sasuke couldn't help but grunt in agreement that getting the chicken coop cleaned up first was the smartest they ever did since beginning their mission here on the farm. If they had to think about chasing after chickens _after_ cleaning this barn… No, they didn't want to think about how annoying it would have been.

"True." Sakura also agreed. "Alright, let's get the last finishing touches done, then we can get the client's signature and get out."

Naruto whined tiredly but slowly rolled over to his feet, straw hay stuck all over his back. Sasuke smirked and casually walked over to him, only to smack him in the back really hard.

"What the hell?!" The blonde yelped and stumbled forward from the force, glaring back at his teammate who shrugged innocently.

"My bad, I used too much force to get all the hay off your back." He didn't sound sorry _at all_. "Just trying to help."

Sakura quickly pushed them all out the barn before the two boys could get into a scuffle. They had nearly gotten into trouble with Kakashi during one of their earlier missions when they started bantering in the middle of work. She could still remember how overly serious he had gotten about protocols and professionalism, to which she had logically pointed out to him that his requirement of them was to make sure the mission was completed smoothly and successfully. "At least give them some way to enjoy these mundane tasks, if they don't cause trouble for the clients nor hinder us from completing the tasks, Kakashi-sensei?", she'd asked him softly. He didn't say much about their smaller scaled antics after that. But it didn't mean they should give him an excuse to yell at them.

Leading the horses back into the barn was one thing- they just seemed that much smarter, knowing the cues and where they were supposed to go. Sheep… not so much. It took all three of them nearly getting their clothes eaten and running around making sure the sheep didn't stray off with their minds seemingly always in the clouds somewhere, before they were able to herd the bunch back into their own side of the shelter.

Cows just liked to take their sweet time.

Sakura wandered back to the horses, one of which was pregnant. The two boys also found themselves standing next to her watching the mare walk the small circle of space given to her before turning back to tower over them, huffing gently.

"They said she's going to give birth some time within the next two weeks, right?" Green eyes looked towards her teammates. Sasuke nodded.

They watched the horse in silence for a little while more, secretly giving her extra carrot chunks as a treat.

"I think we should go now." Sasuke finally said. He quickly reached up to give the horse a pat and headed for the door. Sakura and Naruto also did the same, bidding the mare a quick goodbye, grabbing their belongings and left, heading for the house to have the client sign on their completed mission.

So far, they were able to log in close to thirty-five D-rank missions, with not a single one incomplete or a single client left dissatisfied. Many of their clients seemed wary at first to having the village pariah, the civilian traitors' daughter and the last Uchiha knocking on their door. They were even more surprised that the three of them managed to complete their work without making a mess. Well… maybe if they discounted the amount of bantering and mild scuffling that happened between the two boys and the teasing coming from the girl on the team . It was becoming clear that the three were really kids.

It was also surprising that they were learning a lot more than they'd expected to get from their Kakashi-sensei, who'd seemed extremely reluctant in taking them on as his Genin team. He had taught them how to expand on their chakra reserves, complete the Tree Walking and Water Walking exercises as well as increased their physical endurance. They had upped the warm ups to doing fifteen laps around the _village parameter in under two hours_ , fifty one-handed pushups for each hand, and so on, adding to the challenge as well as incorporating more flexibility. Kakashi was also expanding on their taijutsu to more complicated standard kata and beginning them on team taijutsu formations. Once they mastered those, they would then begin on specializations.

"I see you all completed another mission!" The lady at the records desk smiled mildly at them as she took the scroll out of Sasuke's hands. "Just give me one second. Going to log this in… and get you your pay…" She headed towards the back with eyes scanning the documents quickly to make sure they were filled in without mistakes.

"Well after this, you are all free to go." Kakashi drawled, hands going for his kunai pouch to take out his orange book. " You three will have off for the weekend. But that doesn't mean you are allowed to slack off. When we meet on Monday, I'm going to add to your warm-up exercises again, and we will begin water surface spars. If you can keep up and stay on top of the water for more than an hour, then I'll let you guys finish earlier. Understood?"

"Hai, Sensei!"

He disappeared with an almost inaudible pop like usual.

"Alright, here are your paychecks!" The lady returned and handed each of them an envelope.

"Thank you, ma'am!" Sakura politely took her share with a slight bow and Naruto clumsily followed after her. Sasuke just gave a brief nod.

"Well, I guess I'll see you all on Monday then!"

"Yes! Have a good afternoon!"

"Hey, hey, let's all eat something together before going home!"

The three soon found themselves sitting at the booth of Ichiraku Ramen, Naruto happily slurping away at the extra large bowl of beef miso ramen he ordered while Sasuke looked on in mild disgust.

"Here, you go little miss! One bamboo shoot miso ramen for you! And a tomato beef shoyu ramen for the young friend!" If Sakura could use two words to describe Teuchi the shop owner, then it would be impossibly cheerful. His daughter, Ayame, waved at them from the back of the stand, a towel around her shoulders and a fresh batch of ramen ready to go into the boiling water to cook- she was probably preparing to make a second batch of ramen for the bottomless pit that was her blue-eyed teammate. Naruto came here frequently enough that they knew exactly how much her blond teammate ate.

"Thank you, Teuchi-san! Itadakimasu!" After a full day's worth of training and strenuous D-ranks, Sakura dug into her bowl without a care for heiress worthy etiquette.

"How's your training with Kagomori ji-san?" Naruto asked and Sakura grimaced slightly. Only he had the guts to address Kagomori like that. Well… if he dared to address even Hokage-sama as jii-san, should she be so taken aback?

"There's a lot to memorize and understand. I'm tested for the things I learned the day before, every night during dinner as well. But I'm not complaining. I need all of them if I have to catch up."

Naruto swallowed his mouthful and looked at her worriedly. "You're holding up fine?"

She laughed. "Of course I am!"

"Haru- Kagomori ojou-sama!"

Said girl turned around to see one of the servants she often passed by in the backyard walking briskly towards her. He was one of the relatively friendlier people in that house and would often greet her quietly when no one else was around. Sometimes, he'd slip her a treat or two as well.

"What is the matter, Hanouji-san? Is something the matter?", she asked when he finally got to her.

"Kagomori-sama sends an urgent message for you to return and prepare yourself immediately."

"Very well."

She quickly stood up, took out enough bills to pay for all three of their meals and placed it on the counter. "Sorry, guys, I'll have to leave first. Maybe next time, I'll have more time."

She turned around to follow Hanoji before her teammates could say anything else.

"She's a lot busier than she claims she is, ne, teme…"

"Hn. And we're not the only ones not used to her change in surname either."

"Yeah…"

.

13

.

"What is this about, Hanouji-san." Sakura swept through the halls with the young man trailing behind her, trying his best to keep pace with her. In retrospect, it was quite the irony that someone who was four years older had to play catch up to her- a girl who was shorter than him by a foot. _It seems the training with Kakashi-sensei is definitely paying off,_ she thought offhandedly.

"We're not sure, ojou-sama," he replied breathlessly, "but it seems that an extremely rich foreign investor would like meet with the Trading Association and sign a contract with them. Um, something about wanting to invest through our banks… They'll be meeting at one of Akimichi clan's high-end teahouses within the hour."

"I see. Please send word to Kagomori-sama that I'll be ready to meet him by the entrance as soon as possible." She yanked her bedroom door open and stepped in. "Also send for two maids to help me in my attire."

"Hai, ojou-sama!"

"Thank you." She promptly shut the door.

Meeting new clients or investors was nothing new to Sakura. She had been doing so since the time Harunos still existed and she had been their heiress. This meeting would be no different- she would most likely be sitting quietly next to Kagomori, listening and learning how they interacted and weaved words until the contract was signed with Fire Country benefiting the most out of it. But this time, with both organizations present, the dynamics were going to change. It wasn't that the two Associations didn't often see each other when meeting big clients. It was the fact that this investor was deeply involving not just one but two of the most important groups in Fire Country Country's system.

Due to the fact that there was only one village in the whole country being ninja while the rest were civilian based, the economy couldn't totally rely on shinobi missions for the country's revenue. Trading, manufacturing and the circulation of money through investments and loans made up about half of the economic stability that Fire Country boasted of. Twenty-five percent was made up by shinobi hired to do foreign contracts while the other twenty-five consisted of domestic contracts.

Which was also why the Kasamura mass murder incident was such a big deal, she later learned. Kasamura held quite an esteemed position, one much higher than she had thought. The Bank Association was the lone standing association in Fire Country that consolidated all of the country's bank companies, oversaw all of the monetary transactions and cash flow of the country and reported them biannually to the Lord of Treasury who in turn presented the reports to the Daimyo himself. The previous heads of the Association had once resided in the capital but when Kagomori became the new chairman, the Daimyo had ordered him to relocate to Konoha, along with the vice-chairman and their families. It was the reason they were referred more as the Konoha Banking Association than anything else.

When Kasamura and a large portion of his family were killed and by shinobi hands at that, the demand for a severe punishment and swift trial were hard to stall, especially if the Daimyo himself demanded it. Now Sakura fully understood why the execution had been put on display like it had that day; it was to show and appease the Daimyo and the royal household of their anger, and to confirm their loyalty to the capital.

Sakura still hated Danzo and was wary of the Hokage, but she now understood the necessity of it and a little of why Danzo had been so cold toward the young boy who stepped forward in a fit of courage, questioning the thoroughness of the trial and subsequent punishment of Fugaku, the head of the Uchiha clan. If the Daimyo heard wind of any wavering in their final decision, their allegiance would be questioned. Their actions and access to contracts for missions would be severely put in a choke-hold, and if number of merchants are restricted from entering their village, their livelihood would suffer. Sure the shinobi village was granted autonomy in how they governed themselves but they were still on the Daimyo's land. He may not be stupid enough to banish them from his territory without losing the benefit of their strength and protection, but he can show them he still had power politically and economically.

Thinking back on this as Sakura quickly went to meet up with Kagomori, she understood that meeting this foreign investor was also different in another sense. As the new heiress of the Kasamura and under the name of the chairman Kagomori, she was in a precarious situation as an unknown factor for the investor and the Daimyo. This, in a sense, was her debut nationally and internationally. There was a high chance the Daimyo will make his presence known should he approve of the contract and if the investor was politically important enough. He will also want to meet the one who will take Kasamura's place as well.

Sakura couldn't help but feel so much more weight on her shoulders. She needed to show that she was a suitable candidate as one of the next leaders in a position of power in Fire Country. Someone who was once a nobody from a small clan- with a tainted surname. It wasn't going to be easy.

"Are you ready?" Kagomori's voice was quiet and firm. Her replying gaze said it all; he nodded and they exited the compound.

 _I don't think I'll ever be brave or arrogant enough to say I am. But I'm going to have to force myself to be ready, if not at least look the part when we meet them._

They were at the entrance of the teahouse when Kagomori stopped her and made her face him.

"Remember what I instructed you on the way here. And when the time comes, remember everything I taught you so far. They will be enough for the amount of interaction they will demand of you. They care not of your age, but of your potential and capability to become what they want. Be wary and tread carefully, understood?"

"Hai, Kagomori-sama. I will not fail to meet your expectations."

"Good. Let's go." He slid open the entrance door and was greeted with the receptionist.

"Welcome to the Akimichi Teahouse. Allow me to take your coats and I will bring you to the main room."

They were led into a large private room about the size of the academy classroom times three and the general setup the same as when she went with Mother- Mebuki- that one time for the meeting. There was also a separate table at the head of the room where a simple wall hanging was displayed on the wall, ' _meikyo shisui'_ \- a mind like polished mirror and still water. It was mostly likely where the Daimyo will be seated if he deemed this meeting worthy of his presence.

The Anbu standing guard in the four corners of the room and the two at either side of the door immediately caught her attention: three wore masks with animal depictions, three were blank. Sakura immediately recognized the blank ones as those who had been fighting during the execution incident. All three were standing at attention stiffly, any distinctive features obscured by their masks and the hoodie of their cape. The only thing she could tell was that one of them was slightly taller than the other two. Other than the possibility of peeking at their eye color through the slits in the masks, she wouldn't be able to figure out their age, gender, or personality. The Anbu wearing animal masks consisted of a dog, cat and a hawk. They too had their physical features hidden by their capes.

"Danzo-sama insisted on adding his own Anbu as a show of his support and added security." Kagomori told her quietly as they found their seats at the front of the room. He must have seen her questioning gaze at the ones with blank masks. Everyone knew that the Daimyo only ever felt safe when he hired Anbu during meetings or important events, as paranoid as he can get sometimes.

It was a few minutes later when a knock diverted their attention to the door as it opened. The attendant bowed her head in greeting. "Minna-sama*, your guest has arrived."

A stout, short man walked confidently into the room, a hand pulling off his sunglasses smoothly and the other hand straightening the collar of his expensive looking suit with a sharp tug. He bowed slightly to the occupants, a smirk on his face. "The name's Gato. Pleasure doing business with you all in the coming future."

.

13

.

"Kagomori Sakura-san, the Daimyo wishes to see you for a brief moment." A familiar voice took her attention to the Anbu with the Dog mask. He gestured towards a room down the hall. "Please follow me."

"I understand, Inu-san."

The Daimyo had made his appearance in the middle of it all as if he wanted to be mightily, fashionably late. Though Gato had seemed to pay him no mind, no more than respect for appearances sake and honeyed words, Sakura knew better. The Daimyo may look outwardly lax and gullible but he was certainly no simpleton. He had been ruthless and sly enough to usurp the Daimyo title from his two older brothers and a mutinous uncle, and hold onto it for the last six years.

The meeting had finally adjourned about two hours later, where the contract was laid out and finalized with every detail scrutinized and reread at least five times. The stout man had started his shipping company in the Land of Tea and wanted to expand his business to eventually hold trade within both Fire and Wave.

Sakura walked a respectable step behind the Anbu down the brightly lit halls, calves aching from having to sit without moving for so long. "I didn't expect for you to be here, Inu-san. Is that why you gave us the weekend off?"

"Technically, I'm not on the Anbu roster anymore, but Daimyo-sama insisted since I have been in his security detail most often through the years. Hokage-sama had no choice." He glanced behind him briefly before turning away again. "I didn't expect to see you here either. But seeing as your surname is Kagomori now… I shouldn't be surprised."

She didn't reply and they eventually came to a stop before an elaborate door. He looked to her, his body language indicating the silent ' _you ready?_ ' question. Not that she could ever say yes so casually. She nodded and he knelt before the door to knock. She followed his example behind him.

"Daimyo-sama, Kagomori Sakura-san has arrived."

"Let her in." It was the first time she heard his voice and surprisingly, despite how old he was supposed to be- twenty-seven? twenty- eight?- his voice sounded younger than she would have expected. As if he were in his adolescent years.

Inu slid the door open and she bowed before the one who ruled over Fire country, elbows tucked neatly, hands daintily in front her, forehead almost caressing the tatami mats and barely suppressing the nervous shivers she felt ripping through her. She made sure, however, to keep her voice light and soft. "I pay my greetings, Daimyo-sama. I am most honored to be in your presence."

"Come in, Sakura-san. You may leave to stand guard by the door, Inu." The stout man waved his hand at the Anbu in dismissal.

"As you wish, Daimyo-sama." She stepped in, he stepped back. Then the door was shut almost silently and left the two occupants alone.

"You're younger than I expected, Sakura-san."

"I apologize if my age is a cause for concern, Daimyo-sama."

He chuckled lightly, "Please, no need to be so formal with me. Raise your head and be at ease."

The pinkette suddenly had the urge to roll her eyes but fought the impulse and did as was requested of her. "As you wish.

"What can I do for you, Daimyo-sama?"

"For now, nothing." She felt his scrutinizing gaze fall heavily on her even without her looking directly at him. "What I wanted, was to see the daughter of whom Kasamura-san had confidently chosen to be his successor, and by which you become the next heiress in line. I am surprised that despite his will having been written before his untimely demise, he chose not of his own kin, but of a family almost no one has heard of.

"Adding to the fact of the recent turn of… events, it is all the more imperative of me to see for myself the reason behind his decision. Have you any insight?"

 _That is a really tricky question to ask!_

 **I'm starting to get annoyed at all these probing questions being thrown at us, seriously.**

 _No kidding…_

"Kasamura oji-sama has always been one I highly respect. I learned much from his steady hand, wisdom and kindness during times I was under his care. It was also in his wisdom that he always separated his professional from his personal life… so as to his thoughts, I can only gain so much insight to." She bowed her head again in apology, "I must confess that because of my young age, I still have much to learn and can only apologize for my inexperience and inability to ease your mind on the matter."

"And of your parents? What is your position on this… slight in your record and the future you intend for yourself?" _What will you do to ensure I won't have to remove you from this plain of existence as I had decided with your parents?_ It wasn't hard to read between those lines when the Daimyo was, by his own means, being upfront with it…. without being upfront with it. Did that make sense? Did he also not know that her moth- Mebuki was still alive, even if barely?

Why must she be subjected to so many questions by so many people and- why were people immediately assuming she was fated to fall into the temptations of treachery just by association? She suddenly felt her stubborn streak overcome her sense of propriety.

She looked up to meet his eyes fully for the first time, dimly noting that his eyes were piercing grey with a tinge of blue in them. He seemed to momentarily be taken aback at this sudden boldness from her. It was not within etiquette for anyone but those within the royal family to ever raise their heads high enough to meet the Damiyo's eyes.

"As a kunoichi in training I have already pledged my life to the safety and prosperity of Konohagakure no Sato and by default, Hi no Kuni. As an heiress to Kasamura oji-sama and as Kagomori-sama's charge, I have a lifetime's obligation to repay the debt of kindness and guidance they chose to bestow upon me. I can only hope that with my ashes when I die in my line of duty, I can purge the Haruno family-line's inequities, Daimyo-sama."

Sakura watched a sudden sharp gleam cross the Damiyo's eyes before he smiled and nodded. "I will be observing your progress and your accomplishments, Sakura-san. Do not disappoint me."

"I will do my utmost, Daimyo-sama." They finally broke eye contact then as she bowed to show sincerity.

"Very well, you are dismissed."

"Hai, Daimyo-sama. By your leave."

She smoothly slid backwards on her knees towards the door and knocked. Inu opened it for her and with a last bow, she watched as the door slid closed once more, the Daimyo's undecipherable smile that was directed at her being the last she saw of the powerful man in a long while.

.

13

.

The following months after that were slow and uneventful aside from having to capture Tora the cat more times than she would like to count on one hand as well as a handful of other D-rank missions and that rare C-rank courier mission to Tanzaku Gai in the dead of Winter. There were times when Sakura wondered to herself whether she had only fabricated the tense and intimidating meeting with the Daimyo himself so long ago. Kakashi never mentioned it and she never mentioned his momentary stint as Anbu Inu either. Not that she was allowed to anyway. Technically she wasn't supposed to know any Anbu's identities for so long as those members were alive. Mikoto had once said after all; once an Anbu always an Anbu. It was only a matter of whether they were officially on the active roster or not.

Team dynamics were getting better as Sasuke began to loosen his brittle exterior again and his clansmen were taken out of house-arrest to return to their duty as regular shinobi. The Konoha Military Police Force, however, remained on indefinite hiatus.

The only one who was still putting them at a distance as if still trying to find some kind of excuse to push the team on someone else, though, was Kakashi himself and the three preteens were beginning to reach the end of their tether.

It wasn't until Kakashi had them punished with an increase of twenty laps around the village, on top of the twenty they were already doing as well as slapping Naruto with a one week suspension right after, that they all decided that enough was enough. And it was all only because Naruto had confronted Kakashi for always disappearing right after training, refusing to join team bonding outside of training and practically avoiding to do anything with them past professionality. Kakashi called it insubordination.

"Kakashi-sensei, just what is it we are doing wrong that makes you detest us this much?" Sakura grabbed the back of his vest while Sasuke blocked the front of Kakashi's path alongside Naruto. They, of course, knew that if Kakashi so wants to, he could still escape with a shunshin or a teleportation. Hopefully, he wouldn't.

The silver-haired man's face remained passive. "Detest? What made you think I do?"

"Fine, maybe that is too strong a word, but you know what I'm trying to convey-"

"I certainly don't Sakura."

"Yes, you do." Sakura cut back. "Do you think I wouldn't notice the fact that you make sure never to come into physical contact with us besides during spars? And even then, you keep it to a minimum. When you do, by accident, you flinch and pull back like we poisoned you.

"Naruto is right in that you always avoid team meetings outside of training or missions and never tried to get to know us besides that uninformative introduction that day on the roof when we first became a team. We all noticed that you always try to find even the tiniest of mistakes to punish us severely and either suspend one of us or the whole team for petty, groundless excuses.

"Basically, you've been trying to shove us over the edge to the point we would come to hate you and demand a change of team leader from the Hokage. If that's not evidence for your great dislike of us, then what is? In fact, I start to wonder if the word detest is really too strong of a word to describe it."

"I would say that your accusations are groundless myself." His voice was becoming hard like flint. "Rather, my position is strictly that of a team instructor, you my students.I also know enough about each of you based on the information files I received before the official first meeting. Physical touch? I'm not going to even argue with you over something so stupid. My punishing you for the tiniest mistakes and your so called excuses? If I don't hound into your brains the importance of preventing as many mistakes as possible and the seriousness of missions while they're still relatively easy, how much will you _fail_ when you end up in a more dangerous situation during higher ranked missions?

"So, no, I don't see where your argument lies and as for _your_ insubordination, you will also be suspended for a week alongside Naruto. Want to join them, Sasuke?"

Kakashi swatted Sakura's hand away from him and teleported out, leaving the stunned and angered three behind.

"Just what the hell was that?!" Naruto growled indignantly, thrusting his hands in the air. "Arghhh! Why the hell does he have to be such a stick in the mud?! He's not being fair AT. ALL!"

Sasuke looked darkly at the spot Kakashi had previously occupied, hand stuffed in his pockets, though Sakura knew they were balled tightly into fists. She walked over to them and held onto their hands, even if she had to drag one out from Sasuke, sat them all down and gave them an encouraging squeeze. There was a long moment of silence as they took deep breaths to calm themselves down.

"I know this is unfair of him and I'm angered by his actions too… but I can't help but understand a little of what he is thinking. Though I didn't react as aggressively, I had, for a while, refused to become close to some of the servants as well when I first began living with my guardian."

Naruto and Sasuke looked towards her in surprise and she shrugged in slight embarrassment. "Don't look at me like that, especially you, Sasuke-kun. You were quite aggressive too when you first returned to us and we had to force you to come to an understanding with us before it escalated any further.

"But now we know why." Sakura's gaze softened. "Though you were angry at my parents and by extension me for what happened to your father, Itachi-san and Shisui-san, you also felt helpless and was afraid of growing close to others again, right?"

Sasuke seemed to struggle with himself a bit before he sighed in resignation, though he squeezed her hand back. "Yeah… I- I couldn't do anything to prevent it. I was blinded by my anger and felt at the same time… if I were this helpless, how am I to keep you both safe if something happens again? Then I might as well just try not to care."

"I tried to keep a distance from the servants, even when I knew some weren't as cold as the others. I thought I was bad luck, you know. My former surname was a symbol of misfortune and disgrace and believed that my being close to others would bring them misfortune as well.

"But Kagomori-sama was quick to make me- us- see how skewered that kind of logic is. I think Kakashi-sensei is conflicted with himself over something as well."

Sasuke looked at her curiously, "how are you so sure it's the same thing, instead of him being a bigger dobe than the dobe?" Naruto glared at the raven-haired boy.

Sakura gave the boy a look as well and shook her head in both disapproval of Sasuke's jab and at the question. "He's acting the same way we both did. Besides, I met him during the time I stayed in your house and got to know him a little through your brother, Sasuke-kun. He was kind, very unlike the way he is now. He changed after _the_ incident… though he was still compassionate enough to visit my mo- Mebuki…" She paused.

Could it be that he was feeling guilt? Though he did visit Mebuki, he always made sure to avoid bumping into her all the time. Was that it?

Sakura took a deep breath and stood up, releasing their hands. The two boys looked at her questioningly. "I think I know what's going on, but I need to check on something to make sure. I'll explain later!" And she ran off.

When she got to the hospital, she pulled aside one of the nurses who often did checkups on Mebuki and asked her if anyone besides herself still visited the bedridden woman.

"Ah, yes, Hatake-san still comes by to visit every once in awhile." The nurse said thoughtfully as she tapped her chin.

"Really?" The building feeling she felt roiled inside her stomach and she fidgeted about on her feet. "How often does he come?"

"Well… he doesn't come regularly, maybe once a month or so. The last time he came around was three weeks ago. Most of the time, he comes in the evening." The nurse looked to the girl, "Do you need to find him for something?"

"Um, well yes. I'm his Genin student actually."

"Oh! Is that so!" The nurse smiled warmly. "If you look for Gai-san, one of the Jounin sensei, he should be able to help you better than me."

"Gai-san?"

"Yeah, he's really easy to find." The elder woman chuckled. "He only ever wears a green and black striped, one-piece jumpsuit, has a bowl cut, and is very enthusiastic about training. You won't have any problems finding him at all."

"I see... thank you very much."

Indeed, it wasn't very hard to find the man. With his enthusiasm for training, Sakura first took off to look for him in the practice fields and even without having to use her eyes, she heard him first.

"Come on, Neji-kun! Show me your youth in the spring of your leaps and the flow of the wind through your hair! Tenten-chan, when you do the mid-air maneuver, make it as fierce as the tumultuous winds of a tornado! Good, Lee-kun! Bring forth the force of an earthquake in that downward strike! Compel the trees to shake at the might of your leg!"

 _If anything, should this Gai-san decide to retire out of the ninja career, he would make an over zealous civilian orchestra conductor or a sports coach…_

 **Either way, any civilian under his command will die from his over enthusiasm within minutes** ,Inner sassed.

 _I'm not going to say anything to that for once._

She carefully walked into the clearing where Gai was effortlessly projecting his voice, making sure she was guarded enough to dodge any stray weaponry as was often within these fields.

As the nurse had described, the Jounin instructor of this team was wearing what she now found to be a horridly green jumpsuit, with his hair seemingly haphazardly snipped at the ear and around the circumference of his head. She immediately honed in on an exact replica of the man, a smaller one, performing taijutsu in speeds she never imagined anyone could possibly do. There was a girl with two high top buns, reminding her of a panda, who was practicing accuracy on weaponry and finally a long haired boy dressed in the colors she recognized as a Hyuuga. She recognized not a single person from any of her classes, so she concluded immediately that they had to be upperclassmen.

Before she even opened her mouth to introduce herself, the Hyuuga immediately spun on his heels and shot several kunai in her direction. It was only through the sheer amount of times Kakashi had sadistically made a target board of her and the boys at training that she ducked under, grabbed several kunai from her own holster and knocked the rest out of the air or deflected them when they came close.

"Ahh! It seems we have a lovely visitor to add to our youth!" cried the green anomaly. He and his younger carbon copy had to be some kind of human anomaly of the psychological type, Sakura concluded. How the heck does he remain an effective Jounin when he was always this loud? "How may I address this young flower?"

"Pardon my intrusion to your training session, Gai-san. My name is Kagomori Sakura. May I trouble you with a quick inquiry?" She quickly added, "in private?", when he started to show an expectant look with no intentions of moving away from his team.

"Oh! A youthful flower with the name of one! How befitting! And unerringly polite as well!"

If thumbs-up gestures could be described as loud, Gai's definitely were. "I will happily oblige!"

"Thank you."

They quickly moved to a corner of the clearing, far enough to avoid the curious ears of the team. "Now what is it I can possibly help you with, my dear Sakura-chan?"

"I am looking for Kakashi-sensei. Due to…. certain circumstances, there are some misunderstandings which needs to be cleared. Where would be the most likely place to find him besides his apartment?"

Gai suddenly looked more contemplative and studied her quietly, the complete opposite of how he acted before. Finally, he nodded solemnly, " try the memorial monument, in training ground number three. But you should know, if he doesn't want to be found, he won't be."

"Then I'll keep looking for him until he realizes he can't keep avoiding me forever."

His face morphed back into one of mirth and barked out a laugh. "I knew I saw some youthful fire in you somewhere under all that politeness!" He looked back down and ruffled her hair, making Sakura yelp in surprise, "well then, off you go!"

"Thank you for the help again!" She quickly bowed at both sensei and his team, and hurriedly headed for her destination.

"Sakura-chan! One last thing!" She stopped and turned back to Gai, who had a gentle smile on his face. She was once again reminded that the personalities people project themselves to be, aren't always completely who they are. Humans, after all, were multi-faceted, complex beings. "Kakashi may be hard to get close to at first, but he is truly kind at heart. He's experienced too much, lost too much. Give him a chance and patience. But should you ever need a helping hand, for anything, let me know and I'll always be there."

"Thank you for your generous words, Gai-san. I will take your words to heart."

She bowed one more time and raced off to training ground three.

.

13

.

Kakashi remained elusive that day and for the next three days, none of the children could catch him. Frustration was now rising in the ranks of familiarity, close to sweat, but Sakura made sure the boys didn't blow a casket, especially when Sasuke ended up being unofficially suspended as well, since Kakashi didn't show up to train the sole member of the team not being supposedly punished. The three would wait by the memorial stone during different times of the day, hoping to catch a glimpse of the aloof man to no avail. At one point, Sakura began to think that perhaps Kakashi had an inner child that was suppressed and not allowed to surface during his younger years but was now manifesting as a tantrum throwing anger he seemed to be showing by hiding from his Genin. Rather immature and cowardly, she must say.

It was during the fourth day when Sakura got up extra early- when darkness still blanketed everything it touched and settled down as frost- to head to the memorial earlier than she had planned to meet with the boys. She hadn't been able to sleep, even despite the fatigue she gained from a brain saturated with information she needed to memorize for her training at home. Her nightmares from childhood were coming back and this time much fiercer, in the form of fire, smoke, the cries of fear and pain, and the smell of blood. Chaos, and the thundering of an earthquake had bloomed beneath her feet and she'd trembled without the power to do anything but watch figures in the distance drop one by one like rag dolls as she felt the shinigami caress her through her clothing with icy fingers. She'd woken with her cold, drenched clothes gripping her skin and the echoes of a hauntingly familiar, feminine laugh still echoing in her ears.

She didn't want to sleep, with the possibility of her dreams waiting on the other side, ready to grab her by her hair and pull her under. She had a sudden paranoia to cut her hair shorter.

Quickly changing into her non-training attire, she darted out through the window and into the trees to avoid waking the servants. The air was extremely chilly but not frigid enough for the mild drizzle to turn into crystalized snow and Sakura was thankful for wearing a thick, double layered cloak.

It was a surprise then, that she finally caught sight of the snowy tuft of hair blazing like a light in the dark as she approached the obsidian tablet that almost blended in with the rest of her surroundings. He was quiet, shoulders hunched, kneeling before the stone for what seemed like hours, if his soaked clothes indicted anything. She couldn't decide whether it was appropriate for her to approach him or not, despite the irony of having waited so long in this same place just for a chance to confront him.

"Shouldn't you be sleeping?" Kakashi murmured, his voice breaking through the silence.

"Shouldn't you as well, Kakashi-san? Considering the state of your clothing, you've been here for more than an hour or two."

She slowly approached him and stood to his right, gazing contemplatively at the names carved by hand into the polished stone; the beauty of each person's name exemplified by the craftsmanship only in death.

"What do you see when you come to this place, Sakura?"

She thought carefully, her next words slow as she tried to process the things she felt. "I see people I wish I could've met and ask for wisdom. But because that isn't possible, I can't see anything, but can only imagine, what it must have felt like to know life was about to flicker out for them, and what kind of dedication or wish they must've had in order to still bravely fight on for the sake of protecting this village. I also see people who could've lived, must have had family or friends still aching after them, grieving for them, longing for them… like you are right now.

"What do _you_ see when you come to this place, Kakashi-san?"

It was long bout of silence save for the sighs of the misty drizzle before Kakashi spoke up. "Blood and sweat", he paused and then said, "and people who could've lived, have family still aching after them, grieving for them, longing for them", borrowing Sakura's own words.

"And you wished you had been able to save them, right?"

"Not a wish; I _could've_ saved them", he bit out fiercely.

Sakura blinked, "You know Itachi-san once told me people are limited creatures and therefore can't save _everyon-_ "

"You wouldn't _understand_!" Kakashi hissed and turned to face her with a ferocity that made the pink-haired girl step back. "It was because of me many of these people died and now they're nothing but a part of a carved stone!"

Sakura knew she was not even close to being a psychologist- the only person she knew to be one was Ino's father, Yamanaka Inoichi-san. She was naive, maybe even stupid a lot of the times, but she _hated_ it when someone was hurt and she couldn't stand by and not try to do anything.

"I may not entirely understand what exactly it is you're feeling but I do understand even if just a little!" She swallowed her nerves and stepped closer to Kakashi again despite the aura simmering just beneath his skin. "If only I was older, smarter and more reliable, I would've been able to somehow stop whatever my father was doing, support my mother better and work alongside her more. Perhaps then they wouldn't have ended up the way they are now- father without a grave or a stone marker to his name, mother in a hospital bed not knowing if tonight will be her last." Kakashi flinched back, and Sakura's thoughts about his guilt were confirmed.

"If I had been a b-better daughter, took up the mantle of being their heiress earlier, studied harder instead of deciding to be a ninja despite their disapproval, they wouldn't have fought so many times and father wouldn't have often left home more than he was in it. They wouldn't have ended up communicating only through sticky notes on fridges." Her voice quivered at the end and she had to grip her other arm painfully to anchor herself.

"You know what happened to your parents… were not in your control right?" Kakashi's gaze weighed upon her head and she hid herself behind her bangs. He lifted a hand to tilt her chin up. "I know I avoided talking to you about the incident- about what happened to your mother… I can only apologize for not being able to help her on time. I've meant to tell you sorry, but- I- I just couldn't."

"Don't I get to say the same for you as well?", she whispered back just as fiercely, "That what happened to my mother, to Itachi-san and Shisui-san- to whoever you're grieving over- all of what happened to them, whatever they were, were not in your control?"

Kakashi pulled back and glared at her. "No! I could've saved them! If I had been faster, Itachi and Shisui wouldn't have died and they would've been here instead of having their names carved onto this stone!"

"Stop!" Sakura shouted, and Kakashi quieted, stunned at her outburst. "Do you think- believe- for an instance that they are dead?! That they would die so easily?! Not I!"

She almost snarled and a part of her felt an eery flow of aggressive strength flowing through her veins. "I will never believe for an instant that they're dead and if I have to flip this village upside-down, inside-out to find them I will! I just need to build my contacts, my connections, and gain strength in order to do so. And I will get myself there!"

"I second that, dattebayo!" Naruto came walking in, determined grin on his face with Sasuke following behind him. He too had a look of immovable determination set in his expression and Sakura drew strength from it. "Why the heck are you sulking like a pansy about lies like'em being dead?!"

"I too refuse to believe my cousin and aniki can possibly be dead. Aniki… has always been much stronger. I _will_ find out what happened to them and I _will_ find out the truth behind this whole mess."

Sakura turned back to Kakashi. "I don't know the entire truth behind why you always look so tired and defeated. I don't know the grief and the frustrations behind what happened to make you think it was because of you that people you know died. But I do know it is these beliefs that's causing you to push us away. You think that by keeping us at a distance, you won't have to feel the sorrow of us possibly dieing on day or that you won't become the reason we die. But that's stupid. The guilt is not yours to bear."

"That's right, 'ttebayo!" Naruto quieted as he gazed upon the memorial. "Jiji spoke with me, y'know. Told me about the meaning of this place and that the moment I decide to pick up the job of a shinobi, it would mean that one day, I might die, that I might not live past twenty. But you gettin' all mean and demon boss on us isn't going to help! Didn't you say we have to be a team?! Then what's your stupid half-assed- er arsed attempt at bein' a part of it?!"

Sasuke snorted before glaring at the still stunned Kakashi. "You're contradicting yourself left and right too much, and it's annoying and a headache. Just stop making yourself so complicated already."

"Please, Kakashi-san."

Kakashi sighed after what seemed like a long period of silence. "I- I have lived many years on my own, working on my own. It's not easy to change that fact and it's- it's not easy to tell you things about me… But", he struggled to form the words but he managed to push it out. "But I'll try."

Sakura smiled, her cheeks flushed from the cold. "Trying is better than not, Kakashi-san."

"I don't even know why I'm talking about this stuff with you kids…" Kakashi muttered almost inaudibly under his breath, but Sakura heard him and giggled.

"But if made you feel a little better, right? Not everything is, but it's lighter, the weight on your shoulders, isn't it?"

Not for the first time, Kakashi had to wonder how Sakura was so perceptive. Kakashi didn't say anything but studied each of the children whom the Sandaime had charged him to take care of. Each of the three stood staring back at him unflinchingly.

He sighed again. "You guys sure are persistent."

"We can't spend so much time with Naruto-kun and not have him rub off his stubbornness on us. Right, Sasuke-kun?"

Said boy huffed in between the blond's cries of protest. "More like bullheadedness."

"A team?" Sakura asked softly.

Kakashi's eyes softened and caved into the hopeful glances the children sent his way.

"A team", he whispered.

Everyone smiled quietly as they turned to observe the light of morning slowly illuminate the monument in soft light. That was until-

"Naruto, for calling your sensei a pansy and demon boss, you're getting an extra thirty laps around the village tomorrow."

"Whaaat?! No way, dattebayo! I- uh- I meant, uh,- Sensei!" Naruto whined and Sakura burst into laughter while Sasuke couldn't the cheshire grin blooming on his face.

.

13

.

 **A/N: This chapter was much longer than I initially setted it up to be! A total of 23 pages instead of the usual 17 or so.**

 **Anyway, first thing I want to clarify is the way Kakashi is being addressed here during the last scene. Sakura wants to make this conversion while she was alone with him, one that was before he became her sensei. This made the flow a lot easier and she hoped that a reminder of how he treated her before the incident would make it easier for her to make him talk.**

 **Also the fact that humans, in reality, are full of contradictions. Sakura with her back and forth way she addressed herself and her parents; switching in her mind between calling them mother and father, and calling them by their names. Kakashi swaying between being nice to them and suddenly pulling back and being cold and distant with them.**

 **Now time to address and thank the following reviewers!**

 **MerryKitten: Thanks for the review! Yeah, it's so easy to make an absolute of him! I hope that I won't make him 2D though, because I want him more well-rounded. Hahaha And thanks for your good faith in me! I will continue to strive in giving my best to you dear readers!**

 **Midnightdreams33, Scarease, Twisted Musalih, Radita, veetra159: Thanks for the review!**

 **Guest: Thank you for pointing that out! I wasn't really sure whether that phrase was supposed to have any positive connotations. I've learned something new! One thing I thought of when I came upon that phrase was, often times even well-meaning words, when used within ill intentions can be twisted. Same goes for the other way around. Though I don't approve of it, for example, friends often call each other b*^ches because they look good? The 'b' word itself is supposed to have bad connotations and is often expected with a reflexive smash of a face if ever called one, but it's being used between friends. Intentions, I believe is key. I still don't approve of profanity, personally though. Hahaha. But thank you for pointing out the possible meaning of this phrase!**

 **Just for reference:**

 ***Minna-sama: a formal and polite way of addressing a group of people.**

 **So, thank you everyone for their reviews and I hope that this extra long chapter satisfies your thirst after not having updated in a month! I've been so busy and getting sick so often that I believe it is to compensate for not getting sick last year… much I think. My memory of school life is starting to blend together….= =;;;;**

 **As always, I will do my best to finish up the next chapter of TBF and updating this one soon as well!**

 **Adieu et avec beaucoup d'affection,**

 **Hitori no kage**


	15. 14: Building Bridges

Chapter 14: Building Bridges

The only memories he remembered was waking in a dark, dank room; the sound of water dripping somewhere behind where his head lay echoed in the wide cavernous space.

 _From now on until our Master says otherwise, you will be called number 466._

It was a bit disorienting, but the others he met later on told him it was quite normal- everyone's first memory and feeling were pretty much the same.

After that, he didn't have much time to think as he was pushed to complete physical therapy for injuries he didn't know he had or how he came to have them, then began training in what they called taijutsu, mold chakra and use that to make fire, water, wind and the earth do his bidding. From there, he was taught dirty politics, the importance of protecting a place called Konohagakure no Sato, and how insignificant his existence was save for using it to protect that place and serve their Master by any means necessary.

It was thus so for months, as he trained till the brink of exhaustion with his fellow 'new recruits' and he didn't think much on it. If everyone said this was normal, what was he to say anything against it?

Yet some part of him felt hollow, like something was taken out of him and that person had forgotten to replace it with something else to fill that void. It was unsettling and when he was finally allowed to enter new places he never thought existed after a year of nothing but living in the dark, to squint at the blinding light he needed to adjust to, to hear the noise and sounds of people he never saw before and pink- the color of a young girl's hair he saw on his first mission with one other trainee and a supervisor, he felt that disturbance and tingling feeling grow.

He'd watched from behind his whitewashed mask as the girl, tiny as she was among the mass of adults, skillfully presented herself and played politics and observed the formation of an investment contract no one really trusted in except for who would be the first person to exploit the loopholes found in it.

He'd had the slightest of urges to reach out to touch her hair because he had never seen a shade like _her's_ before, and yet, a niggling feeling in the back of his head was screaming that he had before, had touched it before.

So where did those thoughts come from? Did he have a past beyond the dark halls, the thin cot he slept on, the wounds he had to patch up himself after every unforgiving spar he fought in? Who was he before waking up here? Did he have a family? What did his own face _look like_?

The more he thought about it after that assignment, the more questions he had- and the more dangerous he knew his position would become.

466 was quite aware of how harsh the environment he lived in was; punishment was exact, swift and fierce; life within the shadowed ranks- more so than even the Anbu were- was ruled with a totalitarian, iron grip by their Master. Should his dangerous thoughts come to be known by the others and eventually reach their Master, the consequences were ones he didn't want to contemplate.

And so he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind, but he didn't destroy them like his superiors would have hoped he would. Instead, he took them and placed them behind a heavily padlocked door, then covered that with dust, ashes and a seal that no one but himself could open. Then he went on continuing with his training, with his partner, number 564.

The few months since he awoke to this world became one year, then two and when his supervisor finally deemed him good enough to join the official ranks by going through one final initiation exam, his third year here was soon ending. And the fourth year was to be marked by blood.

The blood of his partner or his partner by his.

" _The one to come out victorious in this battle to the death will be granted a name and a place worthy of serving our Master Danzo-sama."_

 _I don't want it!_ He cried inside himself, but his muscles could no longer remember the feeling of anguish on his face. His partner also remained stoic, but he knew better than to make conclusions solely on surface appearance. Not when he saw that momentary flickering of conflict and resignation flashing across the eyes of his training partner of three years.

 _564 pulled 466 aside after training during their second year together as sparring partners._

" _466, mind helping me? I need some reminders for the type of equipment needed for a mission in cold, northern areas."_

 _466 looked at him quietly, showing him he was listening. 'Of course', he murmured._

 _564 looked around nervously, quite uncharacteristic of the training they were put in, demanding that their emotions be wiped out. Seeing no one in range, he grabbed 466 to head towards the room they shared, fingers tapping secretly on the inside of 466's arm._

' _I trust only you and I need to ask you something really important. Please be honest with me with what you think. Please._

 _466 hummed under his breath as if in thought before asking aloud, "What did you already pack? I can help you fill in the gaps once I know."_ _' We'll need to continue in code even in our room.'_

" _Thank you."_

 _Once they got to their room, they proceeded to go through packing procedures and how to sharpen and protect their weapons in extremely cold weather._

' _Do you feel like something is wrong about this place, 466? Like you don't actually belong here?'_

' _You do too?'_

' _I- I've been remembering bits and pieces of memories that hadn't been there before… and I see the face of a small boy, with black eyes and hair, pale skin. He called me- called me aniki and for some reason, I felt that it was right. Have you had that experience before?'_

' _I get those too, but nothing concrete.'_

' _What if I have a family out there in the world, a little brother? Why am I here? How did I get here?'_

' _I want to know as well…'_

But 466 and 564 had no choice but to obey, unsheathing their tantos one second and disappearing the next to meet in the middle of the training ground with their swords screeching against each other.

' _Promise me one thing will you 466?'_

' _Tell me.'_

' _Promise me that if something ever happens to me in this place that you'll find my brother for me?'_

' _Do you remember his name?'_

' _I wish I did. I can't even remember my own…'_

466 knocked 564's tanto away from his body and crouched, left foot shooting out to unbalance his opponent. 564 leapt away skillfully, flipped his tanto down and rapidly switched to ninjutsu.

"Water style: Water Bullets!"

"Earth style: Earth Wall!"

The two ninjutsus clashed and 466 had to make a double wall to prevent the strong bullets that had pierced through the first barrier from killing him on the spot. They closed in on each other again, trading blow for blow with accuracy and sparks flying. Beads of sweat were beginning to trickle down 564's face and neck as he tried his best to keep his body from shaking. It only took one half second of a pause and 466 dove past opponent's guard and drove the hilt of his sword into 564's abdomen. 564 was sent flying across the arena, blood spewing from his mouth in an agonized wheeze. 466 followed right after him and 564 barely had enough time to lift up his sword to block the death blow to his head and remained in a deadlock.

"Kill me, 466", 564 wheezed, "Kill me and tell Mas- tell Danzo that you won."

466 began to tremble and his black shoulder-lengthed hair tickling his cheeks. There was confusion written all over his face and his partner could only smile ruefully. "Your hair's gotten longer…"

"So's your's, 564- gray like an old man's."

564 kneed 466 in the stomach and flipped backwards onto his feet, spitting the blood in his mouth onto the ground. They jumped at each other again, using all four limbs in an all-out taijutsu and kenjutsu battle.

"Why are you telling me this?!" 466 hissed when they got close enough together.

564's eyes were bleeding with regret. "I don't have long. I'm sick and I'm dying."

The gray-haired boy managed to slice 466's shoulder while he received a similar injury to his left hip. Then they continued their dance.

"I'm dying but I'm not willing to die like a dog being put down after becoming weak and useless. If I die, then I'll die how I want and that would be by your hands. At least in this, I'll get to choose!"

"Why?!"

"Because I remember most of it now, my past."

466 froze for a second and 564 took this chance to get up close into a maneuver they both practiced on each other for a long time. A flicker of a kunai close to 466's jugular and he in turn will aim for a vital point as well. Both had to be swift in parrying that blow away.

Only 564 purposefully slowed his speed down and 466 defended before plunging his own kunai into 564's chest. 564 gurgled and dropped to his knees, 466 with him in shock.

"I remember, 466", 564 wheezed tiredly, laying on his side with a contented smile on his lips, "my name was Shin… and the one I considered… a dear little brother-" He coughed out blood as 466 continued to look on frozen.

"My otouto's name is Sai."

Shin's eyes widened as he pretended to struggle against 564, but there was desperation in it as well. "You must promise me! Promise me, you'll find him!"

He placed his bloody hand onto 466's which was still clutching the kunai embedded in his chest while the other gripped gripped the wounded shoulder and whispered urgently. "Please!"

466 choked silently, not daring to let anyone see his emotions surfacing. "I promise, 564. I promise."

"Call me by my name, one last time…"

"Shin, I promise. I promise I'll find Sai."

Shin closed his eyes as he finally relaxed, making sure to not let his smile surface again, but 466 knew he was happy. "Good…Thank you… thank… you."

The boy's hands went limp as his breathing stilled.

"Good job, 466."

466 stood up rigidly, swiftly squashing all his pent up emotions behind a blank, lifeless mask as he watched a man with bandages wrapped around his face and right arm walk up to him with the assistance of a cane.

"Well done. From now on, your codename is Hakumei* and you'll address me as Danzo."

466, now Hakumei, knelt on one knee with his head lowered in submission. A single tear escaped his left eye and dripped onto the floor to mingle with the blood of his partner, unnoticed behind a veil of hair but himself.

"Hai, Danzo-sama."

.

14

.

Kakashi handed out slips of paper to his puzzled students, inwardly chuckling at their annoyed looks. He'd woken them up at four in the morning to force them into drills and team formations. Then he had them practice offensive, defensive and escape maneuvers, trying to cover as many areas as possible for something he knew they would need soon.

In the years- he couldn't believe he could say years without cringing- since he was confronted by his students about his behavior with them, he found himself unable to push them away but instead was drawn in by the comfort of their iron determination and warmth.

He knew each one, as small as they were, had experienced things a child should never have to. He himself went through a rough and broken childhood and came out scarred beyond what his father would have recognized. Yet, these children held onto their innocence with a vice-like grip, unwilling to let the world they lived in, the past that he knew haunted them in their sleep, to kill off their love of those around them or to snuffle out their passion.

The last year had begun to look better for all of them. Sasuke's father, Fugaku, had finally come out of his coma. He was currently placed under watch in the hospital while going through basic physical therapy to gain use of his legs again. Mikoto was only allowed to walk around within the confines of the compound but at least Sasuke was finally allowed to see his mother.

Sandaime, after the incident, had finally put his foot down on Fugaku's sentencing due to witnesses saying that the revolting Uchiha members had tried to kill their own clan head- meaning that the information they had on Fugaku being at the helm of the coup may not be as accurate as they believed. Who would want to kill the one leading their uprising if he was genuinely on their side, right?

Danzo surprisingly agreed to that idea, stating similar reasons for some of his own Root members becoming mutinous by attacking the Hokage. He'd apologized and promised to severely punish his members.

Of course both Kakashi and the Sandaime Hokage knew better but they couldn't say anything else without proof so they were forced to let it drop. Even though Kakashi knew Danzo was teetering into madness, he knew the old veteran had his uses. Without him balancing the backdoor politics and doing the dirty work, Konoha would not have survived during the bloody years of the Second and Third Shinobi Wars, wouldn't have survived the slowly constricting hand of the Daimyo on Konoha's economy.

The Daimyo didn't want a trade and compromise with the shinobi village now. He wanted to annex and officially take the control of it for his own. And he had done that by first placing one of his most important ministries in the middle of their village, the Civilian Banking Association, under Kagomori, then demanding compensation for the death of his 'trusted friend' Kasamura and his family. With that, Konoha was slowly losing the political power she had balanced against the sovereign of Hi no Kuni.

But Kakashi knew that Sakura was also making headway in the civilian political arena, flourishing under the hand and guidance of Kagomori. He'd been invited to their residence for dinner once by said chairman of the organization. From that one meeting, they both came to an understanding of what had been afoot in Kasamura's incident and the future that seemed to have unravelled before Sakura without so much as her consent. And they both came to an agreement on how to better equip her for what was to come.

He now visited her mother together and without really realizing it, they both consider each other siblings. Of course, Kakashi would never openly admit it, even under the threat of kunai to his Icha Icha collection.

Naruto was finally finding his place in the world, his team his anchor and through Sakura and Sasuke, he dared himself in making friends of uncontrollable Kiba, silent but kind Shino, friendly Chouji and lazy Shikamaru. He certainly had no trouble befriending Hinata, if only she didn't faint so much.

Focusing back on his students as they read the content on the papers, he grinned when they looked up at him with disbelief on their faces.

"You're-"

"Serious?!"

"No way!"

"Yare yare, learning how to complete each other's sentences now, are you?"

Naruto threw his hands up in the air in a stupefied manner, "argghhh, you know what we mean, dattebayo!"

Kakashi put his hands up in appeasement. "Maa, stop panicking, I'm handing these to you way ahead of time, as the exam doesn't take place until April. It's only February so you'll have plenty of time to consider whether you feel up to it or not as well as continuing to hone the skills you have learned."

Naruto blinked. "Oh."

Kakashi sighed. "In the meantime, why don't we ask for another C-ranked mission, since the last two we did were quite successful."

"Except for when Naruto-dobe went and got himself stuck in the middle of a swamp", Sasuke sneered without heat, "I don't even know how he ended up in there."

Naruto glared swiftly at the dark-haired boy and retaliated, "And that time when Sasuke made the merchant's daughter cry on our way to Otafuku Gai! Sakura-chan had to go apologize for you!"

Sasuke flushed. "But that was because she was getting all…. Icky! Hitting on me and grabbing my arm all the time! I was just telling her to stop it!"

Sakura laughed before quickly putting a hand on both their heads. "Alright alright, knock it off you two. Despite those things happening, our clients were satisfied with our conduct… in the long run and gave us good ratings, right? Then let's consider that successful and move on."

"Well, said, Sakura." Kakashi added and quickly steered them towards the Hokage tower. "Now let's _move on_."

The walk there was quick and they were met by the secretary who brought them to the Hokage's office.

"Ah, here for another C-rank mission aren't you?" Sandaime smiled gently as he exhaled a stream of smoke.

"Yes, Hokage-sama", Kakashi fell onto that famous smile which made his eye squint. "I wouldn't dare to ask for a B-rank yet with these squirts." He smirked at the responding indignant noises.

The Hokage chuckled and proceeded to shuffle through the messy piles of scrolls on his desk.

"Hmm, there haven't been a lot of C-ranks lately… many are B-ranks… hmmm plenty of D-ranks…"

Naruto paled and shook his head violently. "Good riddance to D-ranks! If I have to catch that devil, hell cat ONE. MORE. TIME!"

"Don't worry, Naruto-kun", the Hokage smiled genially, "you should know by now that D-ranks aren't handed out by me."

"Oh. Right. Phew!"

"What's up with you and your befuddled memory, dobe?" Sasuke teased, a smirk on his face. "Not eating your vegetables? Wait, you _do_ know what befuddled means, do you?"

"Hey!"

"Guys…" Sakura warned, exasperation coloring her voice. "At least behave in front of the Hokage. If anything else, you can smack each other senseless during our next sparring session."

Sasuke and Naruto smirked wickedly at each other. "Bring it on!"

The girl of the team sighed helplessly at their antics and Kakashi placed a hand on her head in comfort. "There, there, don't get white hair so needlessly."

Sakura turned her ire on her teacher, "like you have white hair?"

Kakashi mock glared at her. "Hey now, only trying to give you some comfort…"

Sarutobi chuckled heartily at the scene and shook his head. Watching this team interact with each other never grew old. He finally cleared his throat to get them back on track and all four quickly stood at attention.

"Well then, if everyone can listen…"

"Sorry, Hokage-sama", the four echoed in unified embarrassment.

The older man shook his head and continued. "I have a C-rank bodyguard mission for one bridge builder by the name of Tazuna. I have sent a request downstairs for him just now and he will come up to meet you."

"A bridge builder?" Sakura inquired. "There aren't many who are in that occupation near our village."

The Hokage smiled at her, "very well-informed, Sakura-chan. Yes, he's not from around here, but from the Land of-"

A knock on the door interrupted the conversation and the older man turned towards the door. "Come in."

The door opened and Team seven looked on to see a short-statured grumpy looking old man with a gruff beard walk in. With a bottle of sake of all things.

Sakura forced herself not to wrinkle her nose in distaste but Naruto was not so restrained. He scrunched up his face at the sight.

"Ehh, an alcoholic old man?"

Tazuna, their client, looked at them with equal disatisfaction. That is to say, extreme disgruntlement. "You're telling me these little twerps will be able to protect me? No offense, Hokage-sama, but I asked for bodyguards to protect on on my way back to my home country, not some kids I may have to end up babysitting myself."

Sakura suppressed the urge to censure the man with the most complicated and verbose words she could think of on the spot and schooled her face into a cold diplomatic smile. Tazuna leaned back in sudden wariness.

"Rest assured, Tazuna-san", Sakura said softly and took a step forward, "we're very much _capable_ and experienced. If you don't believe me, I'm sure our esteemed Hokage-sama will be willing to let you look at our track record."

Tazuna felt beads of sweat forming on his skin. This girl is just weird, he thought.

"Ehmmm…"

"Do not worry, Tazuna-san", Sandaime intervened, "At least trust in my judgement…"

Tazuna froze and put up his hands up in a surrendering gesture. "O- of course I trust your judgement!" He glanced at the team before him uncertainly. "It's just their age is certainly quite young…"

Kakashi stepped up to reassure the cornered man. "I'm a Jounin and I'm sure I will be able to handle any situation they may not be able to. So please relax. If you're only worried about bandits and the like, having a team like ours will be sufficient."

"I-if you say so…"

Sakura narrowed her eyes at Tazuna's hesitance.

 **Something doesn't sit right with me. Keep an eye on him, Outer.**

 _I know. Don't worry about it._

"Well", he cleared his throat awkwardly and tried to appear confident, " the name's Tazuna, a bridge builder of the Land from Waves. I plan on setting out to return to my _family_ early tomorrow morning, so I expect you all to be there!"

"Team seven, you are all to meet at the front gates by 0800 hours, any information you need will be on the scroll. As always, burn after reading. Any questions?"

"No sir!" They chorused.

"Good you're all dismissed."

And tomorrow would be another day.

 **A/N: Hakumei- Twilight**

 **That's it for tonight! I know this one's kind of short but I wanted to give you guys an update as soon as I can so here it is!**

 **Radita: I'll be revealing more on the team's new skill sets soon so I hope you continue to stick around!**

 **Guest: I hope this chapter answered some of the questions and that you enjoyed it!**

 **Thank you all for the reviews and feedback given to me! I really appreciate it!**

 **Until next time!**

 **Adieu,**

 **Hitori no kage**


	16. 15: Into the Waves

**A/N: Oh my goodness! So sorry for the long long absence here on fanfic! Things have been so hectic…. I think I keep saying that do I? Hahaha I seriously feel like I have no life right now beyond school and this is my little bit of reprieve. I actually procrastinated and decided to write this next chapter, even though I have several papers and projects due by the end of this week. Hahaha the things I prioritize sometimes. I just didn't want to leave you all hanging for too long.**

 **Anyway, I hope this chapter was worth the wait and I do thank you all for putting your faith in me by being so patient. Please do read and review! It brings me much happiness and encouragement! Enjoy and till next time!**

 **Adieu et avec beaucoup d'affection,**

 **Hitori no kage**

Chapter 15: Into the Waves

Traveling south to the Land of Waves from Konoha, by shinobi standards, usually took about two days by land and half a day by sea if they didn't take breaks- three full days if they were being more leisure. But with a civilian in their midst, it would take up to about a week before they arrive at the harbor. From there, they would board a boat to cross the vast sea to the islands the small country consisted of.

The day they set out past the main gate of their village was a sunny one, the land dry but chilly. Sakura could only hope that the weather would get warmer from then on as she watched Naruto dance around and jabber away excitedly at the prospect of going beyond the Land of Fire. She smiled endearingly, blowing warm air onto her pink fingertips and rubbing them together. Her expression grew soft when Sasuke grouched at the blond for being too hyperactive so early in the morning, even when he himself couldn't stop fidgeting and glancing at the Hashirama trees past the high wall.

"Ah, good to see you're all gathered." Kakashi landed nimbly onto the ground and straightened himself, his ever present orange book in hand. "Seems Tazuna-san had a hangover earlier this morning and had to get that fixed by a med-nin. He will be here in a moment."

Naruto snorted. "What a stupid old fart. Serves him right for drinking so much. He stunk of alcohol from a mile away."

"That's your ever sensitive nose talking, Naruto-kun." Sakura teased. "But yes, he does drink a bit too excessively."

"Is that how you treat all of your clients, who pay for your services? Talking behind my back are you?"

All four shinobi present turned in the direction of the especially gruff voice to see a wrung out Tazuna sauntering over to them. The skin under his eyes looked sunken in and sallow, and his wilted backpack hung limply on shoulders. The blue and gray clothing he wore looked about barely hanging on for dear life on his bony shoulders and despite having so much trouble with a hangover, he was guzzling down another canister of what they all didn't need to guess to know it was cheap sake. If they hadn't been informed of his identity and occupancy, Team Seven could have sworn Tazuna was just another street bum with a hangover.

"Psh, not when they're true." The blond snorted. "And we're not exactly talking behind your back when you're here to hear it."

"That's enough, let's have order please." Kakashi clapped his hands with finality. "I think is about time to head out, don't you think? We have a schedule to meet."

Naruto and Sasuke grumbled, the latter albeit more discreetly, but said nothing more and followed, waving a goodbye to the gate guards.

Sakura kicked a pebble ahead of her, switching from foot to foot as she listened to Naruto's excited chatter about what he anticipated and planned to do once they passed the border while Tazuna grumbled about the "noise pint-sized brats were making' and "oh, it's making my head hurt, so will you shut up?!".

Sakura sighed. Traveling wasn't anything new to her at this point. Now that she had established herself firmly within her future political positions, traveling to the capital at least twice a year to meet with the Daimyo and the royal family was a given; once to celebrate the Daimyo's birthday and the second was to hand in reports in the guise of attending a banquet honoring the day the Daimyo came to power.

'Well, they did actually hold a banquet,' Sakura thought while she kept watch on the side of the road she was assigned to guard. 'A fancy one at that.'

"Ne, ne, Sakura-chan, aren't you excited too?" Naruto called to her from his side of the formation. He was assigned to walk on Tazuna's right, Kakashi at the front and Sasuke at the rear to form the typical diamond formation needed to protect a single or a small group of clients. Naruto tilted himself slightly back to look at Sakura from behind Tazuna and the old man grunted in annoyance at a potential conversation being tossed back and forth with him as the monkey in the middle.

'No, not really…' Was what she wanted to say, but looking at Naruto's openly ecstatic expression, she didn't have the heart to make her honest opinion known.

 **Well, we're going to veer off our usual route to the capital soon enough so there may be new sceneries to admire or whatever.**

"A little, I guess." She watched Naruto wilt a little when she didn't seem very much enthused and quickly tacked on something else to lighten her words. "Well, I am a bit tired so… but since we're going so far down south, there's bound to be something interesting to look at, right?"

Naruto brightened up immediately. "Yeah! I can't wait to see all of it and brag in front of Konohamaru!" He cackled as he imagined Konohamaru's reactions.

"Dobe…" Sasuke sighed in exasperation.

Naruto shot Sasuke a look but surprisingly turned back around.

"Hmph, not even Sasuke- teme is going to make me feel anything other than excitement!"

A small teasing glint crossed Sasuke's eyes, his cheeks lifting with a tiny smirk.

"Sure, if you insist, Dobe. But of course, only Dobe's make such childishly optimistic statements and Dobes will always be Dobes…"

"Would you knock it off, really Teme?" Naruto growled in annoyance.

"If you'd stop referring to me in such a demeaning way, Dobe. But then, Dobes probably don't know what demeaning means, right Dobe?"

"Teme!"

Tazuna glared at the bickering the ensued between the boys, Kakashi continued reading his book as if nothing else existed around him and poor Sakura looked skyward as if in prayer.

Heaven help their poor souls survive this trip.

.

15

.

It was on their second day of travel as they neared the coast that they encountered attackers. However, while the group of ninjas had been expecting petty thieves, rogue samurai, bandit groups or even slave traders, they hadn't anticipated being ambushed by a pair of ninja who were at least higher Chunin level.

"Manji formation!" Kakashi commanded as he immediately engaged in battle with their attackers.

The children quickly dragged Tazuna to the side of the road and surrounded him to give themselves as much scope of the battleground as possible.

"Is Kakashi-sensei going to be okay?" Naruto whispered worriedly. His eyes darted to and fro trying to follow the sparks of steel against steel and the pinging of weapons being parried.

"He's a Jounin and worked with Itachi and Shisui before." Sasuke didn't really need to elaborate.

Just as Kakashi came to a split second impasse with one of the ninjas, the other took the chance to turn on his heel and speed straight for the group of children and the bridge builder. Kakashi immediately overpowered his opponent with one sudden burst of arm strength and chakra, and knocked the offending tanto to the side. The move was followed by a swift slamming of the handle side of a kunai to the temple before the missing nin even knew what was coming. The man fell to the ground limp and knocked out cold.

Kakashi quickly turned towards the group and watched critically as his three charges stiffened slightly at the sudden realization that they would have to fight an opponent. Luckily, thanks to the Jounin with snow-dyed hair and his _very_ thorough way of training in all aspects of battle, Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura fell into automatic stances without even _blinking_ twice.

The two boys in the team rushed forward to meet the enemy head on while Sakura shifted directly in front of Tazuna and began weaving a string of signs for a jutsu.

The man twisted his body to the left thinking that he was dodging both the earthy hands trying to make a grab for his legs and a volley of kunai thrown by the blond. Next thing the man realized, he had jumped right onto the path of a volley of senbon he hadn't seen half a second ago. How did he not see that?! He managed to forcefully twist his body around mid-air only to witness a shadow fall over him and-

The second assailant was on the ground unconscious to the world in the next second. The three children were breathing hard from the rush of adrenaline and nerves, trying to catch their breath as they watched their sensei briskly walk towards the downed shinobi and checked his vitals. Kakashi turned to them with, they dare say, a smug smile.

"You three did quite the work on him. Good job- you'll tell me exactly what you did later on though. Now", he turned a piercing glare towards their client who looked about drenching himself in cold sweat. "Why don't we ask our dear client what this was about, hm?"

It didn't take much for the old bridge builder to break under the pressurizing gaze of their Jounin sensei. Let it never be said that Kakashi's glares didn't have the potential to kill on the spot. Sakura swore that perhaps one day, they may be convinced enough that his glares could be classified as a jutsu of some sort.

"So now you're risking your life to build a bridge to help open a trade route apart from some shipping magnet's monopoly on the economy?" Sasuke clarified after a moment of silence. Tazuna huffed and rolled his eyes, pretending that he wasn't this close to being a blubbering mess under Kakashi's scrutiny.

"That's exactly what I just said, runt." The old man grouched. Sasuke immediately bristled and was about to give the man a piece of his mind but Naruto decided to ask a question that surprised them all.

"Uh… I'm not really getting why you're going to such lengths for a bridge." The blonde rubbed his nose with a thoughtful noise, "okay, you want to save your country by doing something, I get that. But building a bridge that can just as easily be ruined? I mean, even normal civilians like the ruffians you said this bastard hires can easily sneak around during the night or something and just bomb it once we leave with the completion of your bridge. Let alone the fact that we now know he hired ninja too.

"So what's the point of building a bridge that can ultimately be destroyed anyway?"

Everyone looked at Naruto as if he'd grown a tail or an extra limb.

"That... was actually a… good question." Sasuke ceded grudgingly.

Kakashi hummed in agreement, "so ultimately, it's not a matter of whether you can successfully build the bridge anymore, Tazuna-san. It is a whether you can continue to protect the existence of the bridge after you build it. So long as that opportunistic merchant holds all that power and money, he will not allow for that bridge's existence. It won't be hard for him to hire another ninja once we leave Wave to destroy it."

He looked to Sakura when a thought immediately occurred to him. "Sakura, do you happen to know anything more about this region, given that your position would more like give you access on things like this."

Sakura furrowed her brows. Now that he mentioned it, it did feel like she knew the name Gato from somewhere before…

 **Outer, could it be-**

The distinct cry of an avian pierced cleanly through the air like hot knife with butter. Sakura lifted her eyes in recognition of the messenger bird the Daimyo had gifted her and the Kagomori family three years ago upon making her official debut before the Daimyo's court. She quickly grabbed the special whistle that hung around her neck and blew into it, watching the speck in the sky grow increasingly large as the white raven homed in on her and finally landed on her raised arm.

The group stared wide eyed as she stroked its feathers, the bird preening for a while before it finally raised one of its legs slightly to show the message attached there.

"Thank you, Sei-kun", the girl murmured gently as she removed the roll of paper from the binding, "hop onto my shoulder, will you? I'll send a reply back."

The pinkette quickly unraveled the paper, hurriedly read what message was contained and frowned. With practiced ease, she whipped out a brush and a travel-friendly bottle of ink to write a swift reply, attached it back to the binding on the bird's leg and fed it a scrap of dried meat she had on her person. Sei rubbed its head against her cheek affectionately with a gentle croak and took off.

"Everything alright there, Sakura-chan?" Naruto nudged her shoulder gently.

Sakura nodded her head and looked at him gently. "Everything is alright. In fact, the parameters of this mission have changed."

She turned to give the group her full attention, back straight and her eyes gleaming with a knowing yet reserved smile as she handed the tiny scroll over to Kakashi, who quickly began to scan it.

"Mah", the silver-haired Jounin sighed when he finally finished, "it seems things have took a turn for the unexpected. Kagomori ojou-sama, how would you like to proceed?" He smiled at the girl, the beginnings of crow's feet forming at the outer edge of his eye. "After all, you're now officially our client as a representative of Tazuna-san."

Sakura smiled wryly. To think that she was now 'hiring' the very team she was officially a subordinate of not fifteen seconds ago and who in turn were hired by Tazuna. It was both weird and confusing the heck out of her now that she thought about it. And really, she couldn't tell if Kakashi was just following proper etiquette by addressing her so formally or plainly pulling her leg just for the heck of it.

 _First things first though…_

" …", they watched as she looked deep in thought for a while before eyeing the unconscious ninjas laying at their feet. "Kakashi-sensei, would you please wake one of them up? Preferably the one with less senbon stuck in him…" Naruto snorted while Kakashi complied with her request, an eyebrow quirked in curiosity as to what she was going to do.

Sakura looked pointedly at the now conscious and glaring ninja before her and he hissed in defiance at the lax expression she wore. "Well, did you wake me up to slap my situation in my face or are you planning to attempt an interrogation?"

"Nothing of the sort", Sakura waved her hand with an airy dismissal. "As a matter of fact, I would like to offer you a bargain- a message to be sent in return for your and your partner's release, how about that?"

The man looked taken aback and narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Wha-?"

Kakashi took over. "It doesn't take much to recognize who you are, Demon Brothers, and from the last anyone's heard, you defected from Kirigakure along with the infamous Demon of the Mist, isn't that correct?"

He leaned forward and smiled in that eery way of his. "It wouldn't be surprising that birds of a feather flock together and remain that way…"

"And why should I even consider this bargain? What's in it for us?"

Sakura shrugged. "Considering the fact that you're a bound and captured missing nin, we can automatically send you back to Konohagakure for interrogation via ANBU methods, before leaving you at the mercies of Kiri when we're done. But most nations like to think of us as having too much of a heart; the 'softies', as they put it… wouldn't want to ruin that reputation, do we?

"We'd like to finish our mission as painless as possible. If it means striking a bargain between us with giving you a way out as the bargaining chip and not shed any more blood than necessary, why not? You have nothing to lose."

The bound man seemed to struggle with himself internally before he slumped.

"... What're the conditions for this trade?"

Sakura hid a victorious smile.

 **Things are going to get really interesting soon.**

 _Indeed, Inner.. Indeed._

.

15

.

Hakumei squinted at his reflection as he washed off the grime from his last mission assignment. His eyes were bloodshot, the popped blood vessels flooding the whites of his eyes red and the light brown irises lacked any spark of light in them. His hair had been trimmed short again, the new ends chaffing at the sides of his cheeks and he was feeling distinctly uncomfortable at the cool breeze now having access to the back of his neck. Somewhere inside of his mind, he felt instinctively that his head should have felt slightly heavier due to the weight of his hair. His skin had grown paler than before, not due to the lack of exposure under the sun, but by the strain of the assignments he was being given constantly, compounded by his lack of sleep.

He sighed and dried his face with a towel, stepped out of the bathroom and headed towards the cot to take a short nap. His hands began to unstrap this, unbutton that on autopilot as he systematically removed his gear before he finally sank into the ratty and worn out mattress.

Unfortunately, as much as he wanted to close his eyes and become oblivious to the world, the images of those he killed, the dead and the dying, _Shin_ dying, wouldn't leave his mind alone. All he could do was stare bleakly at the ceiling and hope that the fatigue that came with non-stop missions would overwhelm him and pull him under.

In the past few months since that fight to the death he had been unable to sneak away to begin fulfilling the promise he made to Shin- finding his little brother, Sai. He'd been thrust into one mission after another, either solo or with a team, without so much as one day's rest in between. And he wanted to desperately get started somewhere or else how was he going to face the memorial tablet he kept hidden away in remembrance of Shin?

A chakra signature prickling his senses snapped him out of his reverie and not a moment later, a person shunshined into the room, mask in place with his hood up to cover any means of identification.

"Hakumei-san, you have been assigned by Danzo-sama to complete a mission with me. My code name is Mihari." Mihari tossed a scroll to Hakumei who deftly caught it and opened the scroll to scan the information. "Read and burn as usual. Meet five kilometers north of the East gate in fifteen."

He was gone in the next second as if he'd never been there in the first place. Hakumei sighed as he rolled the scroll back up, tossed it in the direction of the nearby trashcan and with a flick of his fingers, he formed a fire jutsu to incinerate the scroll mid-air. He watched the ashes fall silently like tainted snow into the bin, eyes holding no worries, no happiness, no fatigue, no anger- no light. Nothing.

With not a sound, he slid off the cot, grabbed his gear and cloak, and was out of the room with a well-executed shunshin. The room was cleared of any signs of him ever being there except for the grey pile of soot he left behind.

The sweet bliss of oblivion would have to wait yet again.

.

15

.

"Okay, I really can't stand the suspense anymore, 'ttebayo, and I really want to know why in the world are we hiding out back here when we could really use the beds Tsunami-san offered us earlier", Naruto grumped unhappily.

They were currently in a shed behind the house Tazuna and his family lived in, huddled up with the spare blankets and pillows the lady of the house provided them, along with fresh hay to keep the shed insulated with heat. They each held onto a highly decorated cast iron hand warmer, each containing a few pieces of warmed lumber ashes to keep their bodies from freezing during the night.

The group had arrived quietly during the night without further incident and promptly shoved Tazuna through the back door away from prying eyes. It was very much to Sakura's immense relief that the message she'd sent through one of the Demon Brothers had made it to their leader and was accepted. Or else they wouldn't have made it in such pristine condition.

And as promised, Kakashi had Tazuna and their little group sit together during the wee hours of the following morning to get everyone on the same page.

Sasuke nodded. "Out with it, Sakura. What was with the message you received. Whose raven was it?"

"Okay, okay", sighed Sakura, "though I have to say I am very surprised and thankful you kept the questions to your selves until now. Especially you, Naruto-kun."

The girl took a breath in and straightened her back, the soft strands of her light, coral pink hair sliding to the front of her shoulders at the movement.

"I received orders directly from Daimyo-sama. For the remainder of our stay here, I will no longer be proceeding on this mission under the title of Genin of Team Seven, but as the official representative of the Banking Association of Fire Country on behalf of Tazuna-san who, as Kakashi-sensei mentioned before, is my client."

Sakura looked to Kakashi. " Team Seven's job now, is to act as bodyguards to Kagomori Sakura while she settles a breach of contract with Gato-san. He stated that it is of utmost importance that we find a permanent solution to this problem by _any means necessary_. This mission has been raised from a C-rank to an A-rank due to the Daimyo's intervention. And that raven was a gift from Daimyo-sama and his family at my introduction to the court. Any questions?"

"We?" Sasuke asked her carefully.

Sakura couldn't stop herself and _smiled_. Naruto and Sasuke shivered involuntarily at the sight. "I am being given the freedom to act in the capacity as a representative commissioned by Daimyo-sama _and_ as a kunoichi of Konohagakure no Sato. So in this case, the term Team Seven does not include me. Officially that is."

Sasuke's eyes widened at the implication. It took Naruto a few seconds more though, before he blinked in realization.

" _Oh…_ "

Kakashi sighed good-naturedly and Sakura chuckled. "That was the other half of the message I couldn't figure out huh, Sakura? Is that a special code?"

She shook her head. "No, it is actually an archaic form of formal high court dialect that Daimyo-sama still uses for his personal correspondences. He made each head of family learn it. I'm just about close to being relatively fluent in it."

"Huh, that's something."

Tazuna looked between them worriedly. "Wait, so does that mean that the mission I commissioned is- is no longer valid?"

"No, it isn't, technically", Kakashi shook his head and smirked. "In fact you're very lucky that the Daimyo saw something worthy of his investment here and intervened. Had he not done so, this mission really would have been completely revoked due to the rank assigned and paid for not matching the field parameters. From what you explained, you and your village can't afford anything higher either and then, we would have had to turn back. However, with this change, the Banking Association will be covering the leftover cost on your village's behalf since it is tasking this team for Sakura's protection and by extension, you."

"Count yourself lucky, old man." Sasuke said with a hint of warning in his tone. "You're not being ditched because you lied."

Tazuna paled at the thought and turned away.

Kakashi coughed into his hand. "So, since this mission is basically a very political one and our job is to be your bodyguards, what's your next plan of action?"

"Well this quote and quote bargain relationship with Zabuza-san is working merely because of his curiosity- nothing more, nothing less. It can't stay that way forever so I'm going to have to take a risk... but nothing too drastic!" Sakura quickly tacked on when Kakashi looked ready to protest at her possibly putting herself in danger. "You'll still be there… unofficially. I don't want to cause trouble to Zabuza-san and his subordinates. It's going to do none of us any good. So here's the plan…"

.

15

.

Three days later, Sasuke found himself at a very grandiose mansion looming before him from outside of the thick, iron gates that sectioned off the property. Gato must have been overzealous when hiring an architect to build his abode because the place was so extravagant in the midst of such a worn down country that it became quite cumbersome even to look at. Nevertheless, he sighed and watched as Gato left his residence with a troop of his gangling, hired hands who were without a doubt low level missing nins and rogues. It made him really question how the Association Sakura was in, even allowed themselves to be affiliated with the questionable man for so long. And surely, the Daimyo, who was rumored to have usurped the throne through wit alone, wouldn't have been enough of a fool to not see it either, right?

He shook his head and cleared out the distractions. When he was sure that the tycoon was gone, he slipped in through the gates and raced across the wide lawn and into the trees discreetly, and to avoid bumping into any of the guard dogs despite having already suppressed his chakra. Once he got in through the third floor window, he tapped his earpiece and in a few moments, Naruto slipped in to stand beside him.

"Remember, we're only here to snoop around and find the documents I need to make copies of. Nothing more, nothing less- which means no pranking the guy or trapping anything, even if he's a bastard. Clear?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah", Naruto picked at his ear with a pinky and blew on it in a clearly annoyed manner, "I'm not that stupid."

Sasuke smirked. "Good to know."

The blond _really_ wanted to smack the back of his head right then. But they really needed to get started. They only had a fifteen minutes to find the stuff, have Sasuke copy them with his sharingan and leave.

"Shaddup and let's just get to it, teme."

.

15

.

"I knew the state of this country wasn't that great and all, when looking at Tazuna-san's place", commented Sakura in bewilderment as she looked about the town, with Kakashi walking behind her as his role of bodyguard. "It's obvious he used to be well off what with the quality of the hand warmers and bedding his family provided for us… but this? This is a lot worse than the worst I expected."

The town market place was lined with shops and stalls but nearly two-thirds of them were closed and any of the opened ones barely had anything displayed. The streets were nearly empty of shoppers but there were certainly plenty of people huddled at corners hoping to find some scrap of food being left or dropped onto the ground by someone else.

Kakashi hummed in agreement and frowned. "You'd have thought the situation here would have traveled to our Daimyo-sama's ears sooner given the huge investment our country has put in here. This situation isn't something that happened over night… so why didn't he take action until now?"

Sakura sighed heavily. "I don't know. He and I haven't spoken face to face again since that time four years ago."

Kakashi's hand twitched, wanting to put a supporting hand on her shoulder but for appearance's sake, he can't just yet.

Though an instant later, his hand shot out and snagged a young boy by the back of his collar just as he about to run into Sakura. The hand he was about to reach out with quickly went behind his back but then reached out and tried to free himself.

"Hey! Le'go, ya buncha meannies! I ain't do anythin'!"

Kakashi produced his signature, unnerving smile. "Not yet, you didn't, but anyone can recognize you were about to pickpocket my ojou-sama. And because of that you're going to be punished."

He lifted a hand as if to tie him and the kid broke down and started bawling. "I'ma sorry, kay?! I'ma sorry! Please don'rest me, sir!"

Sakura lifted her hand and Kakashi paused, quirking a brow at her and trying hard not to smirk. It was a bit amusing to his sadistic, former Anbu side after all.

"Release him." She pulled out several ration bars from inside her kimono sleeves and handed them to the boy. He looked surprised and with his face runny with tears and snot, it was kind of comical, Sakura mused to herself.

"Here, take these but don't steal like that again. You're making it too obvious and you'll get into more trouble than it's worth." She turned to go on her way, leaving the speechless boy behind. "Let's go."

"Well, that was generous of you, Sakura."

"Well that was sadistic of you Kakashi-sensei." She gave him a look. She couldn't decide on whether to feel pity for the boy or amused at Kakashi's antics. She knew he really wasn't going to tie him up and throw him in jail after all, given the sorry state of the place. Not to mention she wasn't sure if there was such a governance around. The place wouldn't have been so crippled if there had been one. "Don't think I didn't know what you were doing."

"Yare, yare, you're getting a little too perceptive for your own good."

It was not long after that the duo spotted the man they needed to deal with and seeing him in the middle of eating out a restaurant while his goons were loitering around the area and destroying what property some of the owners had left, made both of their bloods rise up to the boiling point. Kakashi schooled his face well though and looked pointedly at his pink-haired charge for the mission.

"Sakura, make sure you control your emotions." He discreetly patted her arm. "From this point on, you're Kagomori Sakura ojou-sama, the one destined to take up headship of two major civilian clans and a position of power to serve Daimyo-sama."

"I know that…", Sakura whispered and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath in. Suddenly, her tense shoulders relaxed and she straightened her back into a comfortable but regal posture, everything she was taught to be. It took Kakashi aback when she opened her eyes and saw that even her demeanor seemed to have changed as well.

"I know that, so no need for worry, Hatake-san." She looked up to regard his surprised look coolly. Her smile was distantly professional. "Let's do what we must."

She dusted the non-existent dust off of her tidy, elegant kimono and walked her way over to Gato, who by now noticed her presence and was scrutinizing her in that tip-of-the-tongue type of phenomenon. Good, she analyzed, he seems to recognize her a bit.

One of Gato's men stepped forward as if to block her. "Hey, you, what do you think you're doing here?" He looked her up and down. "And where did you go getting stuff like that without our knowing?"

He reached out to grab her but Kakashi stepped up as well and swatted a chakra enhanced hand in the lackey's direction. The man flew down the street and crashed to the ground unresponsive.

Sakura remained relax with unnerving steadiness as if nothing particular was happening around her and looked down her eyes at Gato. "Hello, Gato-san. I hope you remember me as much as I remember you. My name is Kagomori Sakura, the future vice-chairman of the Banking Association of the Land of Fire. It is my pleasure to finally make your acquaintance."

She let her lips tug upward with detachment as she watched him turn pale.

 _ **Ah… that's the reaction I wanted.**_

 _ **A/N:**_

 ** _*Sei- Clear, bright_**


End file.
